Handicaps on wine

For years the European UNI0N has been pursuing a masochistic policy towards its wine sector. Rather than tackling the problem of fair competition with countries from the so-called New World, it continues to focus on explanting vines and cutting subsidies, especially in regard to Italy and France.
Thus when competing with forced wine production, which is heavily dependent on irrigation and essential for certain countries – e.g., Chile and Australia – we engage in a ridiculous war over who should get export aid and how much. Added to this we don't know whether such aid will be budgeted in the future and taxes are practically non-existent on non-European wines.
At the same time, many countries impose heavy taxes on our wines and red tape is particularly complex to export to Russia, South Korea and China - which has just signed an accord with Chile to slash import duties on wine from that country.
It doesn't seem to matter that as much as 500,000 litres are needed every year, some 40-50 litres every day, to irrigate only one hectare of vines. The fact that this takes place during an international water shortage is a paradox. And yet no one says anything.
Not only in China but markets in Britain, which is in Europe, the United States and even Germany markets have become fair game for production obtained by these methods which are questionable to say the least.
Since in Europe methods like forced irrigation are not permitted in the production of quality wines of guaranteed origin, we find ourselves operating under a handicap. We do not penalize those who make wine differently than we do and we punish ourselves for our over-production which is, in part, a by-product of a system which allows others what we deny ourselves.
If I were a Euro MP from Italy, France or Spain I would at least make a minimal effort to explain to our non-winemaking EU partners that something is not right. Brazil has given most-favored status to Argentina and Chile which allows them to export there wine to one of the most vibrant markets in the world today. Why doesn't Britain do the same for European wines, for once showing preference for the Old Continent rather than seeking to maintain its outdated role as the head of an anti-historical Commonwealth?
There is a lot which could be said and done but is not. And our representatives in Europe appear incapable of doing anything, if indeed they wanted or knew how to.