Viticulture in the EU

Piedmont and Tuscany in line with Burgenland

Vinophile treasures just waiting to be discovered: wine accounts for 130 billion euros of the EU's gross domestic product.

(Bild: Grammer Karl/Karl Grammer)

There is not only truth in wine, but also enormous economic power that strengthens the cohesion of the regions. With this principle, Burgenland enters into an alliance with large, renowned wine-growing regions in the EU.

Burgenland's initiative to establish an interregional group in the Committee of the Regions (CoR) on the topic of "wine industry and wine culture" in Brussels has fallen on fertile ground. "Concrete commitments have already been made by 12 regions from five EU countries, including Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain and Poland," explains Wein-Burgenland Chairman Herbert Oschep.

Renowned partners
Highly esteemed wine-growing regions such as Piedmont, Tuscany and La Mancha, the largest wine-growing region in the world with 190,000 hectares, are all pulling in the same direction. Other renowned interested parties come from Spain, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary, among others. "We are on the right track," says Oschep, expressing his satisfaction with the progress.

In their plea in Brussels, Dorner and Oschep emphasized the diversity of the EU's regions and cohesion.

(Bild: Wein Burgenland)

"Show strength!"
The primary goal is to strengthen the European wine industry and significantly deepen supra-regional cooperation, emphasizes Heinrich Dorner, the provincial councillor responsible for the CoR. "Our project is taking shape, more and more regions are recognizing the value of viticulture and its importance for a prosperous economy," he says.

52 million € in taxes
Almost three million jobs, € 130 billion as a contribution to the EU's gross domestic product and € 52 million in tax revenue speak for themselves. "Viticulture secures jobs and stops the exodus from rural areas," says the state councillor, referring to the positive effects of a supra-regional offensive.

The initiative is to be presented at the CoR plenary session in Brussels in February.