Presentation: “Wine Separatism Without the Geographic Origin – In Vino Plebiscitum”
Second presentation, in a number of presentations organized by the Foreign Policy Initiative BH (FPI BH) and with the support of the Open Society Fund, was held on May 9th 2011 in Mostar, with the topic “„Wine Separatism Without the Geographic Origin – In Vino Plebiscitum“, analysis which was previously made by FPI BH.
The lack of legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding viticulture and enology is causing huge financial damage to the BH economy. Three years ago the ‘Law on Wine, Brandy and other Grapevine and Wine Products’was adopted, but during the drafting of the relevant by laws it was established that more than half of the articles of the Law could not be implemented in practice with the result that this Law is not being enforced. At the same time the Entity laws are also full of shortcomings. According to the current Law the Federation of B&H has almost no competence in this field making it very difficult to monitor the development of the viticulture and enology sector. Shortcomings in the current Law have prevented the adoption of relevant bylaws as a result of which the Federation of B&H now has a problem with marketing of wine, protecting designation of origin and geographical indication of wine, conducting quality control of wine and so on. This sector is much better organised in Republika Srpska.
After preliminary analysis we have defined a fewspecific steps that could be undertaken to better organise the viticulture and enology sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
1. A more favorable legislative ambience should be ensured for sustainable development of the viticulture and enology sector by establishing and maintaining a single and well organised wine market pursuant to EU standards.
2. There should be a Law at the State level to define foreign trade aspects of this sector and create legal preconditions for marketing local products on foreign markets. Detailed solutions could be provided in parallel and harmonised entity laws.
3. There should be an efficient system and mechanisms for quality assessment and organoleptic assessment of the wine (control over the production of grapevine, control of wine production, wine quality control, protection of designations of origin and geographical indication, wine marketing, establishing of registries, etc.).
4. In certain areas there should be clearly defined competencies of all levels of power, in particular in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and an efficient system of inspectional control and supervision in the viticulture and enology sector.
