site.btaMEP Ilia Lazarov: Bulgarian Winemakers Should Unite in Order to Benefit from New European Wine Package

The wine production sector in Bulgaria is highly fragmented, which prevents domestic producers from covering the costs of promoting and advertising Bulgarian wines abroad, MEP Ilia Lazarov (EPP/GERB) said in BTA’s podcast EU Law BG. "Unfortunately, here everyone wants to be a voivode (leader) and everyone wants their own band. Naturally, when you don’t have the financial resources, that kind of expansion is hindered," commented Lazarov.

In the so-called "wine package" - the legislation that Brussels is preparing to support the wine sector - various measures are planned to stimulate exports, such as promotions and advertising campaigns abroad. The problem, according to Lazarov, is that co-financing of about 20% is required, and the funds must pass through the relevant industry associations. In Bulgaria, however, there are at least six or seven, or even more associations, which shows significant fragmentation, he notes, and in his words this prevents "things from happening."

There is a market abroad for Bulgarian wine and for other Bulgarian spirits derived from wine, such as brandy, Lazarov added. "By the way, thanks to the crisis over Trump’s tariffs, our producers exported a significant amount to the United States in advance, because this is not a product that spoils and would otherwise have been hit by President Trump’s tariffs. So the American partners of our producers preferred to purchase larger quantities to have reserves," he emphasized.

He also said that Bulgaria successfully exports to China, but Bulgarian producers can't secure adequate quantities for the vast Chinese market.

Within the new EU legislative package supporting the wine sector, Bulgarian producers can benefit the most if they focus on typically Bulgarian grape varieties, believes the MEP elected with the support of GERB–SDS.

"We won’t impress anyone with producing Cabernet, Merlot, or Syrah - even if they are of very high quality. Not to mention Malbec, which is an Argentinian variety, or Carménère, which is Chilean," Lazarov says. According to him, Bulgarian makers can only be competitive by producing traditional Bulgarian varieties such as Mavrud, Gamza, Tamyanka, and the various Misket grapes - Vratsa, Sandanski, Karlovo - as well as Dimyat and others. "But they need to be made with quality. Because during socialism many of these names were degraded as cheap and low-quality wines," he adds.

He gave the example of a Bulgarian producer - whose name he did not mention to avoid advertising - who, according to him, makes one of the best Tamyanka wines in Bulgaria, and 100% of his production is exported exclusively to Belgium’s Flanders region, where it continues to be in strong demand.

High-quality Gamza from the Vidin region, he added, competes easily with French Beaujolais as a lighter wine.

This spring he initiated an event in the European Parliament to showcase Bulgarian wines from premium varieties, as well as Bulgarian cheeses and cured meats, under the motto From the vine to the wine. The presentation generated great interest, with over 288 attendees, Lazarov said. Such attendance at this type of event in the European Parliament has not occurred since before the COVID pandemic, he added. "Some of the producers who attended managed to conclude certain agreements, contracts, to meet with partners. The aim was precisely to make them aware that we exist," the Bulgarian MEP emphasized.

Among the guests were not only people from the European Parliament but also representatives of major European wine-producer associations, the leadership of the European Spa Association, and business representatives - such as the champagne, wine, and cognac company Moët & Chandon from Bernard Arnault’s group, one of the largest in Europe. They were, in turn, quite impressed and interested, Lazarov said. He stressed that he will continue to organize such presentations and is planning a new event to promote Bulgarian national products next year.

On December 4, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a preliminary agreement on the so-called “wine package,” whose aim is to address the challenges faced by producers and unlock new market opportunities. The new legislation will be adopted no later than January 2026, with the idea that it can be used starting next season, Lazarov explained.

Watch the full interview with Ilia Lazarov on the EU Law BG podcast channel.