Press Release: Crisis distillation of wine to be opened in France and Italy

The Wine Management Committee voted on 7 June 2006 on proposals from the European Commission to open crisis distillation of wine in France and Italy. Considerable surpluses had been recorded on the wine markets in different Member States resulting in a fall in prices and a worrying rise in stocks. The wine Common Market Organisation (CMO) provides for the possibility of a crisis distillation in the event of exceptional market disturbances due to major surpluses. Following demands from Member States, the Commission proposed to use this possibility.