Poland in dispute with EU over apple wine
Created: Friday, September 28. 2007
During a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Brussels the Polish delegation has been pushing for a wine definition that also comprises spirits produced of fruit other than grapes.
The talks in Brussels concerned, among others, a project of wine market reform presented by the European Commission in July. One of the effects of such reform would be a ban on marketing spirits based on fruit other than grapes under the ‘wine’ label.
“In Poland for centuries a traditional wine has been produced from apples,” vice-minister of agriculture Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski explained.
“The case is not decided yet,” admitted EU spokesman for Agriculture and Rural Affairs Michael Mann. Apart from Poland also other member states raised objections. Against the new definition were Sweden, Finland and Germany, who also have a long tradition of apple wine production.
“In this part of Europe, because of climate conditions, one does not grow grapes,” stressed vice-minister Ardanowski.
Another argument used by the Polish delegation was that in June the EU rejected Polish proposition of the definition of vodka stipulating that only spirits distilled from potatoes and rye can be sold under that label.
