Development of a program for technical assistance from the European Union to wine sector in Ukraine will begin in November, President of the Ukrainian Bureau of Grapes and Wine, Ivan Plachkov said referring to a statement by the Head of the European Union's Delegation to Ukraine, Jose Manuel Pinto Teixeira.

Plachkov said that on October 1-2, the heads of diplomatic missions of several countries of the European Union and the United Kingdom visited the leading wine producing region in western Ukraine, where they could appreciate the excellent quality of products of the enterprises that are part of the Ukrainian Bureau of Grapes and Wine, wineries Guliyev Wines, industrial and trade company Shabo, and got acquainted with the exposition of the Shabo cultural center of wine.

The guests pointed to problems that, in their view, significantly impede the development of Ukrainian wine industry: the unresolved land issue, bureaucracy in the power and uncertain investment policy.

The Europeans paid a special attention to the situation with manufacturers' compulsory payment of 500 thousand UAH (1 USD - 7.9 UAH) for licenses on wholesale trade. For small producers making to 100 thousand bottles of wine a year, such payment is an unsupportable burden on the price of their products, and simply kills wine making, impeding the development of a huge existing potential of the Ukrainian industry.

In this regard, Plachkov said, following the visit Teixeira said that in November, development of a program of technical assistance from the European Union to wine sector in Ukraine will begin.

He stressed the need for mandatory participation of the Ukrainian Bureau of Grapes and Wine in the development of this program. After all, producers know real problems of the industry from within.

Ukrinform