The president of the Regional Alentejo Wine Commission, Luís Sequeira, accused the Portuguese State of not ensuring effective control over bulk imported wine, pointing to an accumulated difference of about 690 million liters over seven years between import data recorded by INE and volumes identified by the Wine and Vine Institute as introduced for consumption. This discrepancy represents approximately 100 million liters per year, which for the responsible party demonstrates the existence of a serious control problem in the national wine sector.
The analysis has already been presented to the Minister of Agriculture by CVRA, with similar conclusions having been conveyed by the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers and other representative structures of the sector. Luís Sequeira highlighted that the organization is not opposed to wine imports or the functioning of the European market, but demands the application of the same rules to all operators and the creation of mechanisms that allow tracking the journey of the imported product, arguing that national producers are being harmed by unfair competition.
The solution proposed by CVRA involves the mandatory centralization, in the Wine and Vine Information System, of the current accounts of operators who import or trade bulk wine, regardless of country of origin. The model to be applied would be the same one already successfully used in controlling certified wines, allowing regional wine commissions to previously consult the stock records of each operator and compare them with volumes found during inspection operations.
Luís Sequeira directly questioned the State's resistance to adopting the proposed measures, considering it particularly significant that the wine sector itself is calling for more oversight and regulation. The responsible party expressed willingness for CVRA services to collaborate on the ground, noting that the measure does not represent significant additional costs and can be implemented immediately, and that wine is a sector with enormous potential for the Portuguese economy that cannot be put at risk by the absence of control.
