Szenarien weinbaulicher Flächenausweitung in Rheinland-Pfalz / Effects of planting rights liberalization on the wine sector of Rheinland-Pfalz

The project aims at the assessment of effects of planting rights liberalization on the wine sector of Rheinland-Pfalz. Since 1976, planting of the new vineyards has been strictly regulated in the European Union. With the CAP reform of 2008, this regulation is to be abolished from 2018 the latest. For Rheinland-Pfalz, which has remained the main wine producing region in Germany, the effect of this reform could be substantial.

Since abolishment of planting rights implies an increase of land availability for wine grapes growing, average productivity of the sector as well as production decision with regard to the quality categories of produced wine are very likely to be affected. As a consequence, the volumes of produced wines, domestic market prices, trade balance and welfare of the wine market stakeholders might change. The direction and range of these and related impacts are to be assessed within a partial equilibrium analysis framework. In particular, a model replicating the structure of the wine market of Rheinland-Pfalz shall be developed for projecting the effects of policy scenarios with a planting rights regime and without it.

The findings of this project will bring a scientific reasoning for a possible future political decision making with regard to restriction on vineyards planting as a policy measure as well as further improve modelling framework for the EU wine market.