Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the European Council have reached a preliminary agreement on a new “wine package”, a group of measures intended to support the industry.
The package, is “addressing challenges that wine producers face and unlocking market opportunities”, a statement from the Parliament said.
The bloc has been negotiating the layout of the wine package since the Commission laid out a list of proposed policy shifts in March.
Under the group of updated measures, negotiators have agreed to allow wine products to carry the “alcohol-free” descriptor together with “0.0%” if their alcohol content does not exceed 0.05% by volume.
Beverages with an alcohol strength of 0.5% or higher, and at least 30% below the standard alcohol level for that wine category before de-alcoholisation, are permitted to be labelled “alcohol reduced”.
The minimum alcoholic strength for wine in the European Union (EU) stands at roughly 8.5% abv.
Last month, MEPs agricultural committee backed a proposal to use the term “reduced alcohol” on labels of wines around 6% abv.
The latest updated policy framework also looks to help producers face ongoing environmental challenges like climate change.
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