Beale: ‘OIV membership is only half of the picture’
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has welcomed the UK government’s decisions to re-join the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) as a member, but also said that OIV membership was “only half the picture”.
“We welcome the government’s decisions to re-join OIV membership. As a rapidly growing producer of wine it is right that the UK should be represented and have its say,” said CEO Miles Beale.
“However, OIV membership is only half of the picture. Now that the UK has left the EU it is also vitally important that Britain joins the World Wine Trade Group, [with its different membership], to help cement the UK's position at the centre of the global hub for wine trading,” he added.
The UK and Northern Ireland rejoined the OIV on 1 January 2021, making it the 48th member country integrated by the organisation.
The UK and Northern Ireland was an active member of the former OIV from 1973 to 2004, and, as signatory of the Agreement of 3 April 2001, finalised recently the necessary steps to ratify this Agreement and join the new OIV.
By becoming a member of the OIV, the UK will benefit from the information, cooperation and services of a network of around 1,000 experts, with these contributions from the vitivinicultural sector and the scientific community all the more important in the current context of Brexit.
“These links enable the UK to take part in the fundamental decisions concerning the evolution of the sector and to raise its voice by becoming one of the 48 decision-makers in such an important area,” said the OIV as it welcomed the UK and Northern Ireland back to its fold.
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