The measures of European bureaucracy resemble Gorbachev's "dry law."
In 2025, the value of French wine and spirits exports fell by 8%, which was a heavy blow to one of the country's most profitable sectors of the economy.
The European Union will allocate €40 million to support French winemakers facing American tariffs and declining consumer demand. This was announced by EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski ahead of the annual agricultural fair in Paris.
According to him, the allocated funds are intended to help stabilize wine prices. Emergency funding will be directed towards processing unsold stocks, as overproduction continues to weigh on France's famous but struggling wine industry. Surplus wine is traditionally converted into ethanol, which is then used in industry.
"For the wine sector, we have allocated €40 million from the agricultural reserve, specifically so that France can carry out crisis distillation, remove excess from the market, and stabilize prices," Wojciechowski noted.
He added that this measure complements a recently approved support package for winemaking, which includes tools such as vine pruning and promoting wine with zero or reduced alcohol content.
According to Wojciechowski, demand for alcoholic beverages is declining as the younger generation increasingly opts for a healthier lifestyle. Last year, the value of French wine and spirits exports fell by eight percent, which was a serious blow to one of the key and most profitable sectors of the country's economy.
The situation is exacerbated by growing competition and tariffs on European wine imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The new aid, which has not yet been officially introduced, complements the French fund of €130 million, offering subsidies to unprofitable farms for uprooting vineyards. Additionally, this week the EU approved further support measures for European winemakers.
Among the proposed measures are a review of labeling standards and the unification of terms: for example, replacing the category "light alcoholic" with "low-alcohol" and allowing drinks with an alcohol content below 0.5% to be labeled as "non-alcoholic."
Wojciechowski emphasized that "consumer behavior has noticeably changed," and the wine sector needs to adapt to the new demands of the audience. He also noted that European producers will benefit significantly from the recently concluded trade agreement with India, which significantly reduces import duties.
"In this market, we will be in a more advantageous position than competitors like Australia and the UK," he added.
Wojciechowski, commenting on the situation, defended the European Commission's policy aimed at supporting farmers—a group that historically views Brussels with the greatest skepticism and often expresses its dissatisfaction in the most vehement terms.
"The agricultural sector is under pressure for a number of reasons," he said, mentioning outbreaks of animal diseases, trade conflicts, and chronically low prices that affect farmers across all 27 EU countries.
"The anger is understandable, but anger is not a solution," Wojciechowski emphasized, calling for the search for constructive mechanisms to overcome the crisis.
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