Na 20 jaar onderhandelen bereiken Amerika en Europa een akkoord over wijn-labels (en)

After 20 years of negotiation, the EU and the US have reached an agreement on the marketing and labelling of wine. Politicians call it a win-win deal, but wine producers are not yet convinced.

The agreement deals with a number of labelling issues, aiming to create marketing certainty for US and EU wine exporters.

Among the proposed regulations is stronger protection of the `Origin Denomination' of wine - cosseted by EU wine producers - and US acceptance of European labelling methods.

However, the proposal must still to get passed by the American Congress.

If Congress approves, the United States will limit its use of certain "semi-generic" terms in the US market, such as "Sherry", "Porto" or "Malaga" wine. In return, the EU will recognise the wine producing methods that are accepted in the US.

Agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said she was satisfied with the agreement, and that it would make way for closer co-operation with the US in the domain.

"The decision eliminates the judicial uncertainty and will benefit the producers on both sides of the Atlantic", she said.

Her American counterpart in the discussions, the US Trade Representative Rob Portman, announced after the signing of the deal that "this agreement is a win-win situation for US and EU winemakers, helping to establish predictable conditions for bilateral wine trade".

But Spanish agriculture organisation COAG, of which many Spanish wine producers are members, criticised the agreement in a press release on Thursday (15 September), claiming that it only declared a number of "good intentions" from the US side, but that it "does not guarantee anything".

The US is the biggest importer of European wine. Exports accounted for over 2000 million Euro last year.

In Europe, the 17 origin denominations that have been selected are Burgundy, Chablis, Champagne, Chianti, Claret, Haut-Sauterne, Hock, Madeira, Malaga, Marsala, Moselle Port, Retsina, Rhin, Sauterne, Sherry and Tokay.