A Commission Delegated Regulation published on 13 July 2026 sets out rules enabling Member States to grant national payments for wine distillation, green harvesting, and grubbing up of productive vineyards during justified market crises. The regulation, adopted on 10 July 2026, supplements Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 on the common organisation of agricultural markets and aims to provide a legal framework for crisis intervention in the wine sector while preventing structural imbalances.
Under the new rules, Member States may authorise national payments for distillation and green harvesting (Article 3) and grubbing up (Article 4), subject to Commission approval under Article 216(2) of the basic regulation. To justify a crisis for distillation or green harvesting, a Member State must demonstrate at least one of three criteria: a substantial increase in wine stocks, a substantial decrease in market price over six months, or a substantial decrease in cumulated sales (Article 3(2)). For grubbing up, the Member State must show a structural market imbalance, evidenced by indicators such as increased ending stocks over five years compared to a ten-year average, or decreased profitability over ten years (Article 4(2)).
The regulation sets maximum payment levels to ensure proportionality. For green harvesting, the payment covers direct costs plus compensation up to 50% of the average grape value (minus harvest costs) plus an incentive of up to 20% (Article 3(4)). For distillation, the maximum covers distillation costs plus compensation up to 50% of the average market price plus up to 20% incentive (Article 3(5)). Eligible beneficiaries include winegrowers with authorised vineyards for green harvesting and grubbing up, and producers, marketers, or distillers for distillation (Articles 3(3) and 4(3)).
Measures may be targeted to specific regions, wine categories (PDO, PGI, no GI), and colours (red, rosé, white) (Articles 3(1) and 4(1)). To prevent recurring crises, Article 5 stipulates that if a Member State authorises green harvesting or distillation in two consecutive years, it must also require parallel grubbing up and comply with conditions under Article 58(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 to avoid structural imbalance. Member States must provide detailed justification and notification to the Commission (Articles 6 and 7). The regulation enters into force the day after publication in the Official Journal (Article 8).
Stakeholder impact Winegrowers and producers in crisis-affected regions gain access to national financial support, potentially stabilising incomes and reducing surplus stocks. However, the strict justification criteria and maximum payment caps may limit the scope of aid, particularly for smaller producers. National authorities face administrative burdens in preparing justifications and notifications, but gain flexibility to tailor measures to local conditions. The European Commission retains oversight through approval and notification requirements, ensuring consistency with internal market rules. The regulation's anti-recurrence provisions aim to prevent long-term market distortions, but may discourage repeated use of crisis measures even when justified.