Article 3 · Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2093

Contents

Article 3Distillation of wine and green harvesting in justified cases of crisis#

1.Subject to the approval of the Commission as provided for in Article 216(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Member States may grant national payments for distillation of wine and green harvesting in justified cases of crisis under the conditions provided in this Regulation. Such national payments shall be proportionate, duly justified and targeted to wines and production regions affected by a crisis situation, in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article. The distillation and green harvesting may be implemented at national or regional level, for one or several categories and colours of wine.

2.To determine the existence of a crisis situation, the Member State wishing to make use of the national payments for the measures referred to in paragraph 1, shall demonstrate the occurrence of one or more of the following market circumstances, for the categories and colours of eligible wines, either at national or at regional level, as appropriate:

(a)a substantial increase in the latest available wine stocks at production level compared to the average wine stocks at the same time of the year in the five previous marketing years or, alternatively, in the five previous marketing years excluding the highest and the lowest values;

(b)a substantial decrease of the average wine market price at production level for the six latest months compared to the average market price over the five previous marketing years or, alternatively, over the five previous marketing years excluding the highest and the lowest values;

(c)a substantial decrease of cumulated wine market sales at production level for the ongoing marketing year compared to the average cumulated sales on the same period over the five previous marketing years, or, alternatively, over the five previous marketing years, excluding the highest and the lowest values, and provided such a decrease does not result from a decrease in production.

3.The eligible beneficiaries of the national payments referred to in paragraph 1 shall be, for green harvesting, winegrowers whose holding include only vineyard areas planted with a planting authorisation in accordance with Union and national legislation and, for distillation, physical or legal persons producing or marketing wine, wine producer organisations or their associations, associations of two or more wine producers, or distillers of grapevine products.Where the beneficiary of a distillation measure is not a wine producer, the concerned Member State shall ensure that the economic benefit of the measure is passed on to the relevant wine producers.

4.The maximum amount of the national payment per hectare in relation to green harvesting shall not be higher than the sum of:

(a)the direct cost of the complete removal or destruction of the immature grape bunches, to be set by the Member State on the basis of representative standard costs;

(b)a compensation amount of no more than 50 % of the average value of the grapes produced in the same area over the previous three marketing years, calculated for average yields at average prices of grapes, for the categories of wine and colours of eligible wine in the relevant geographical area minus the average cost of harvesting in the same area; and

(c)an incentive of no more than 20 % of the sum of these two amounts.

5.The maximum amount of national payment per hectolitre of eligible wine benefiting from distillation shall not be higher than the sum of:

(a)the cost of the operation of wine distillation, as estimated by the Member State on the basis of representative standard costs;

(b)a compensation amount of no more than 50 % of the average market price during the latest six months for the categories and colours of eligible wine and within the geographical scope of the measure; and

(c)an incentive of no more than 20 % of the sum of these two amounts.

6.The wine eligible for distillation in accordance with this Regulation shall be originating in the Union and shall conform to the requirements to be marketed within the Union and, where relevant, to the product specifications for wines bearing a protected designation of origin or a protected geographical indication.