Legal solutions for environmental sustainability in the wine sector: a comparison between the French and Italian experiences

This analysis represents the initial phase of a research project developed within the framework of a Nationally Relevant Research Project (PRIN, in its Italian acronym), funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) of the European Union — the Next Generation EU fund — and by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, under the title Innovative solutions in the wine sector (IN-WINE). The purpose of this study is to identify the legal instruments adopted in the French and Italian legal systems to support sustainability in the wine sector, with particular reference here to environmental sustainability. In outlining the scope of the research, it also seemed appropriate to consider European supranational legislation, albeit briefly, given its interaction with national law and the need to contextualize state-level policy choices. The analysis highlights a significant collaboration, aimed at achieving environmental goals, between the public and private sectors, which characterizes the decision-making model of the wine sector at both the European and national levels. The findings allow for the identification of exemplary best practices that may serve as methodological guidance for public action, while also offering insights into possible future perspectives on sustainability — not limited to environmental aspects — within the wine sector.