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The Italian financial police have confiscated property worth more than 520,000 euros during an investigation into a wine producer in Brindisi. The producer is suspected of having misappropriated EU subsidies applied for to switch to organic viticulture. At the request of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Naples, a judge froze the assets until the court in Lecce has completed a preliminary investigation. The EPPO is an independent public prosecution authority responsible for investigating and prosecuting offences against the financial interests of the EU.
The name of the producer was not mentioned, nor were the identities of the suspects. Their lawyers have confirmed that the conversion to organic viticulture was initiated in order to receive subsidies co-financed by the EU, the EPPO explained. However, checks carried out by the Italian certification institute ICEA found chemicals in the soil that are not permitted in organic farming.
Every year, more than one billion euros in EU funding is made available to support the wine industry with restructuring and marketing. The number of organically cultivated vineyards in Italy has risen by 138 per cent since 2012. According to figures from the European Commission, almost a fifth of Italy's vineyard area was certified organic by the end of 2023.
(al / source: decanter)