Europe's glut of wine to be turned into disinfectant

NEARLY a billion bottles of French and Italian wine are to be turned into fuel and disinfectant because producers cannot find buyers.

The EU agriculture commissioner yesterday announced plans for a radical shake-up of the wine market to prevent over-production. In the meantime, it was agreed that the EU will finance the conversion of millions of bottles of French and Italian wine into industrial alcohol.

The growing popularity of wines from the New World has been blamed for the decline in the appetite for traditional European produce.

"Europe is producing too much wine for which there is no market," the commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, said.

"That is why a deep-rooted reform of the sector is urgently needed."

Ms Fischer Boel also wants to limit the hand-outs individual farmers can receive from the Common Agricultural Policy, her spokesman, said. Criticism of the payments meant the time was right to again consider reform.

"We get rather a lot of unfortunate newspaper stories saying various kings and lords get very large amounts of money in agricultural subsidies", the spokesman said.

"The feeling was it was a good idea to limit the amount each farm could receive."

Last year it was reported that the Queen and the Prince of Wales received more than 1 million in CAP subsidies. Several other aristocratic landowners were reported to receive six-figure sums.

Ms Fischer Boel is considering reintroducing a pay-out ceiling during a review of EU agriculture policy scheduled to start next year.