In a move that it likely to dismay the European Commission, ministers agreed
to allow France to grant exceptional national aid to producers for distillation
of 1.5m hectolitres of wine.
EU: Dismay as Euro ministers agree further distillation grants
The European Union Council of Ministers has agreed to allow yet another Member State to stretch the agreement underlying the new common market organisation in wine, by approving a large national handout for compulsory distillation. In a move that it likely to dismay the European Commission, ministers agreed to allow France to grant exceptional national aid to producers for distillation of 1.5m hectolitres of wine.