Government creates 12 million euro support for Douro winegrowers

The Government has approved extraordinary support of 12 million euros for the income of winegrowers in the Douro Demarcated Region who, in the 2026-2027 wine campaign, are unable to sell their production. The measure was created by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 177/2026, published in the Diário da República, 1st series, no. 175, of September 9, 2026, and authorizes the Institute of Douro and Porto Wines, I. P. (IVDP, I. P.) to carry out the expenditure.

The Douro Demarcated Region is the oldest delimited and regulated wine region in the world, including the Alto Douro Wine Region, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In recent years, the evolution of international markets and the decrease in consumption in traditional markets have led to an accumulation of wine stocks and difficulties in distribution, with significant impacts on producers’ income.

Funding and amounts

The support is funded by two sources, with funds to be entered into the IVDP, I. P. budget, and proportional allocation in the years 2026 and 2027:

• €9,000,000.00 from the Agriculture and Sea budget program;
• €3,000,000.00 from the centralized allocation of the Ministry of Finance.

The maximum authorized amount is €12,000,000.00, not subject to value added tax. The support is granted under the de minimis regime applicable to the agricultural sector, and the ordinance of the Government member responsible for agriculture must ensure compliance with the legally applicable individual limits.

Exceptional and transitory nature

The measure is strictly exceptional and transitory in nature, while the structural reforms provided for in the Action Plan for the Sustainable Management and Valorization of the Wine Sector of the Douro Demarcated Region, approved by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 133/2025, of September 9, are implemented. The conditions for granting the support will be defined by Government ordinance.

Sustainability Fund

The resolution also projects the creation of the Sustainability Fund of the Douro Demarcated Region, starting from the 2027-2028 campaign, as a permanent autonomous financing instrument, endowed with its own revenues from the region. The IVDP, I. P., together with entities representing production and trade, and after consulting the Interprofessional Council, must present by December 31, 2026, a proposal for the creation and governance model of the fund, oriented towards surplus management, market stabilization, and the economic sustainability of the sector. The creation of the fund depends on the prior demonstration of sufficient own revenues.

The measure, approved by the Council of Ministers and signed by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, takes effect from the date of its approval, September 4, 2026. For thousands of Douro farms, the support represents temporary relief in the face of the distribution crisis, while the future fund seeks to eliminate the need for extraordinary public interventions and preserve the classified landscape of the Alto Douro Vinhateiro.

Source: Diário da República, 1st series, no. 175, September 9, 2026, p. 1/2 (official reference: Council of Ministers Resolution no. 177/2026).