Investments in processing facilities and winery infrastructure

Decision 271/15981 of the Minister of Rural Development and Food activates article 50 of EU Regulation 1308/2013 which provides that support may be provided for tangible or intangible investments in processing facilities and winery infrastructure, as well as in marketing structures and tools. These investments are aimed at improving the overall performance of the enterprise and adapting ­the its application to market requirements as well as to increasing its competitiveness; they also concern the production or marketing of grapevine products, inter alia with a view to improving energy savings, overall energy efficiency and sustainable processes.

The business investment measure concerns investments in cutting-edge technologies, in improving the quality of the wine produced and in the marketing of wine products. The Programme is implemented throughout the country, with strategic objectives:

(a) increasing competitiveness by upgrading the quality of the products produced in conjunction with improved marketing;

(b) support for small and medium-sized holdings to maintain them or make them economically viable.

The quantified objectives of the programme are:

1. a) The increase of the market share of certified wines (PDO, PGI, varietal, traditional name) by 5%.

(b) The number of investment projects to be financed shall be 50 projects per year, of which at least 20 shall concern small and medium-sized holdings.

The beneficiaries of this support are wine-making enterprises or wine producer organisations which produce and market wine products. Associations of two or more wine producers or interbranch organisations may also become beneficiaries.

Only costs that are verifiable and controllable and linked to the following actions shall be eligible for support:

1. Production of grapevine products – product improvement
2. Quality control

III. Marketing of grapevine products

1. Investments linked to the operation in general.

The total amount of available funds of the investment programme for the  wine year 2017-2018 under the National Support Programme for the wine sector 2014-2018,  as in force each time, amounts to € 4,563,000.

The Union contribution to the actual costs of the programme shall be granted through the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund as follows:

1. 50% of expenditure for regions designated as less developed. That is, the Regional Units (P.E.) belonging to the Regions of Eastern Macedonia, Thrace, Central Macedonia, Thessaly, Epirus and Western Greece.
2. 40% of expenditure for regions other than the least developed ones. That is, for the Regional Units (P.E.) belonging to the Regions of Western Macedonia, Ionian Islands, Central Greece, Peloponnese, Attica, Crete.

iii. 65% of the expenditure for the smaller islands of the Aegean Sea.

3. The remaining percentage of the actual costs shall be covered by the beneficiaries’ own contribution in proportion to the area where the expenditure is incurred.

The maximum investment amount per beneficiary is set at €200,000 and the minimum investment amount per beneficiary is set at €10,000. In the case of an association of persons or a collective body, the maximum amount of the investment is increased to 500,000 euros.

For the allocation of funds to eligible applications, the following objective criteria shall be defined, in order to serve the strategic objectives of the programme, exhaustion of the available programme funds and in any case if they have obtained a score above the threshold of 25 points. The priority criteria for inclusion in the programme are detailed in the table below:

Eligible applications are ranked at country level, applying the general formula:

Pt=W1*Pt1 + W2 *Pt2 +……+ Wn*Ptn,

where: W1, W2…, Wn = criteria weighting factor

Pt1, Pt2…., Ptn = coefficient of compliance with the criteria.

In the event of a tie of applications, the classification of the beneficiaries shall be carried out on the basis of the size of the wine production in order to put the beneficiary with the smallest wine production first.

Those interested in joining the program submit in writing and digitally (CD) to the Directorate of Food Exploitation and Technology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development a file in which the application is included along with the necessary supporting documents from February 1, 2018 to February 20, 2018 and  at the same time send a copy of the file (in written and digital form) and to the D.A.O.K. in whose area of competence the actions will take place.

Source : Decision 271/15981 of the Minister of Rural Development and Food “Investments in wine production enterprises according to article 50 of Regulation (EU) No. 1308/2013 for the period 2017-2018”, Government Gazette B ́272/01.02.2018