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The President of the German Winegrowers' Association (DWV), Klaus Schneider, warns after the resignations of the cooperative associations and the Franconian Winegrowers' Association that a fragmentation would endanger "the professional clout". In his view, the withdrawals from the umbrella organisation would not lead to individual members being better able to assert their own interests: "On the contrary, they weaken the representation of the interests of the wine industry as a whole," Schneider explained in a press release, adding: "If we no longer speak with one voice, we will find less of a hearing with politicians overall."
Above all at EU level, Germany could discuss with the major wine-growing countries France, Italy and Spain on an equal footing through DWV. "To maintain this position, we producers in Germany must continue to speak with one voice," Schneider emphasised. "Only in this way can we use the established, direct access to the decision-makers in Brussels and ensure that the interests of German viticulture are taken into account at EU level."
The political bodies in Germany also continue to expect "that opinion-forming and coordination take place at the level of the profession and not only in hearings at the level of the ministries." Schneider therefore extended his appeal to the sector: "We have to appear together vis-à-vis politics in order to remain assertive. DWV must remain the platform for exchange and coordination among producers!"
(uka / Photo: DWV)