The « Comite Europeen Des Entreprises Vins » (CEEV) Welcomes The Good Results In Facilitating The Access Of Sweet Wines To The Chinese Market.

CEEV Press release:

The European wine companies are happy to note that the "Market Access Strategy" set up by the European Commission allows, thanks to a permanent partnership, to improve the export conditions for European wines.

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The European wine companies are happy to note that the “Market Access Strategy“ set up by the European Commission allows, thanks to a permanent partnership, to improve the export conditions for European wines.

Brussels, 20th May 2010 — A change in the Chinese regulation, which was a non-tariff barrier to trade for sweet wines, should allow to open a highly promising market.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the European Commission, the Member States and the Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV), China has brought its maximum authorised sulphites levels into line with international and European standards, thereby allowing sweet wines, also European ones, to access the Chinese market.

The European exports, already increasing in spite of this non-tariff barrier, should keep on increasing on this highly promising market, with around € 200 million in 2009 for all wine categories. Sweet wines represented more than 9.000 cases in 2009 (vs. 800 in 2004).

This shows the point of the “Market Access Strategy“, set up by the European Commission. Based on a permanent partnership between the representatives of the sectors, the Member States and the EU Commission, it allows preventing the emergence of barriers to European exports, identifying existing barriers to trade, and deciding upon priority strategic actions to have them removed.

‘Such positive results encourage us to follow this track. Increasing the exports to third countries is key to ensuring the sustainable development of the wine sector, which is essential to the European agriculture and economy. The Comité Vins is actively involved in this Strategy to facilitate the access to those markets and is determined to keep on working in close collaboration with the European Commission and national authorities. It is a long-drawn-out job, but it definitely bears fruit.‘, said CEEV Secretary General José RamOn Fernández.