Juan Fernando López Aguilar· S&D

Nuanced

The wine sector employs three million people and accounts for almost 1% of GDP.

Omissions

• The GDP contribution figure of 0.8% is below the 'almost 1%' claimed; the 3 million jobs figure represents direct and indirect employment combined, not just direct employment.
• The employment figure of 3 million is an estimate from the European Commission (July 2024), while the 2.9 million figure comes from a 2022 PwC study.
• The GDP contribution data is from 2022, not the most recent available at the time of the 2026 speech.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission - Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentIn 2022, the sector contributed a total of €130 billion, or 0.8%, to the total EU's GDP, and generated 2.9 million jobs
• PrimaryEuropean Commission Press Release - High-level Group for EU wine sectorIt creates an estimated 3 million direct and indirect full-time jobs, most of them in rural areas, and contributes an estimated €130 billion
• SecondaryPwC/CEEV Report - Economic, social and environmental importance of the wine sector in the EUThe wine sector contributed 2.9 million jobs in 2022 and 0.8% of EU GDP (€130 billion)