Question for written answer P-008109-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Angélique Delahaye (PPE) , Michèle Alliot-Marie (PPE) , Eric Andrieu (S&D) , Georges Bach (PPE) , Alain Cadec (PPE) , Alberto Cirio (PPE) , Arnaud Danjean (PPE) , Rachida Dati (PPE) , Jean-Paul Denanot (S&D) , Albert Deß (PPE) , Herbert Dorfmann (PPE) , Karl-Heinz Florenz (PPE) , Elisabetta Gardini (PPE) , Nathalie Griesbeck (ALDE) , Françoise Grossetête (PPE) , Brice Hortefeux (PPE) , Marc Joulaud (PPE) , Philippe Juvin (PPE) , Alain Lamassoure (PPE) , Giovanni La Via (PPE) , Jérôme Lavrilleux (PPE) , Constance Le Grip (PPE) , Peter Liese (PPE) , Mairead McGuinness (PPE) , Anthea McIntyre (ECR) , Nadine Morano (PPE) , Elisabeth Morin-Chartier (PPE) , Renaud Muselier (PPE) , József Nagy (PPE) , Momchil Nekov (S&D) , Alojz Peterle (PPE) , Maurice Ponga (PPE) , Franck Proust (PPE) , Sofia Ribeiro (PPE) , Robert Rochefort (ALDE) , Virginie Rozière (S&D) , Tokia Saïfi (PPE) , Anne Sander (PPE) , Marielle de Sarnez (ALDE) , Tibor Szanyi (S&D) , Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso (PPE) , Damiano Zoffoli (S&D)

Vine growers are increasingly and justifiably concerned by the rise in the number of cases of grapevine wood disease being detected in Europe, in particular eutypiosis, esca and black dead arm (BDA).

These diseases currently have no known cure and eventually lead to the death of the vine stock, thereby threatening the productive capacity and ultimately the long-term viability of many growers' businesses. In some regions more than 80% of vineyard plots are affected by esca or BDA, with on average some 12% of vines being rendered barren. These wood diseases are now seriously hampering the competitiveness of some vineyards and, indeed, the entire European winemaking industry.

In the light of this situation, can the Commission specify what actions are being taken and what resources are being mobilised at EU and Member State level with regard to:

• —research, experimentation and development to devise effective means of combatting these diseases and making these solutions available to growers;
• —measures to prevent the spread and further development of these diseases in the EU;
• —maintaining the productive capacity and compensating growers for the losses they have incurred?