In September 2023, the Court of Auditors published its report «Restructuring and planting vineyards in the EU. Unclear impact on competitiveness and limited environmental ambition». The report’s findings emphasize that the impact of EU assistance on wine growers’ competitiveness is uncertain. According to the document, the design and execution of the planting authorization scheme show deficiencies, while the EU wine policy fails to meet the environmental goals of the common agricultural policy. The Court of Auditors calls on the Commission to better target EU actions to increase the sector’s environmental goals and encourage winegrowers’ competitiveness. The Commission’s answer stresses, however, the significant changes of the CAP 2023-2027 and the enhancement of environmental ambition for the wine sector. This paper seeks to highlight the necessity of resolving current conflicts, based on the findings and significant concerns identified by the Court of Auditors and on those emerging from the Commission’s reply. It advocates for a policy that thoughtfully reconciles interests that may seem contradictory but would actually thrive under a balanced and pragmatic approach.
