We are delighted to announce that applications for the FIVS Jean-Jacques Bouffard Scholarship 2025 are now open!

The Opportunity

The FIVS  Jean-Jacques Bouffard Scholarship offers a unique opportunity for a full FIVS member to attend the Global Wine Law School organised by the Wine & Law Program – A Jean Monnet Chair, University of Reims and gain a valuable Diploma to assist your continuing professional development (CPD).

If you, or a colleague, are eager to challenge yourself, enhance your knowledge and skills, gain access to incredible academic knowledge and support, connect with fellow wine sector colleagues and industry leaders and gain recognition among the wine community, then apply now to be our FIVS JJB Scholar at a world-leading university based in the heart of Champagne.

The University of Reims Global Wine Law School offers an intensive five-day course in English on the legal aspects of wine trade involving the European Union. This year’s edition will focus on fraud issues in a global context. In addition to lectures taught by eminent professors from around the world, students will tour some of Reims’s most prestigious champagne houses such as Krug, Dom Pérignon, and Moët & Chandon. The programme also features various events, including the Annual Global Wine Law Lecture. Upon completion of the course and a written exam, students are awarded a French university diploma.

The 2025 School of Wine will be held in Reims, France, from 31 March to 4 April.

You can see our previous JJB Scholars here. And read more about the learnings of the 2024 Scholar here.

How to Apply

FIVS members interested in applying for the Jean-Jacques Bouffard Scholarship should submit their CV in English and a short cover letter (1000 words maximum) to the FIVS Secretariat by Monday 6 January 2025 6pm Paris time.

Only employees of Full FIVS members may apply. The University application conditions also apply. The opportunity is open to emerging talent as well as seasoned professionals.

Written applications will be assessed by a FIVS selection committee to select the new Jean-Jacques Bouffard scholar. In order to ensure a fair selection process, applications will be judged against the following criteria:

• What makes you the stand-out candidate for a place on this course? (30%)
• Your explanation of how you would use your learnings from your course in your job or career going forward and how participation would take you to the next level of your career (40%)
• Demonstration that your participation in this course would support your organisational sustainability aims or objectives (30%)

We expect to announce the successful applicant by the end of January 2025 in time for registration for the course.

The scholarship covers the registration fees for the Summer School of Wine Law in the EU Program. The successful applicant (or their employer) will be expected to cover their travel and living expenses.

Applicants must be prepared, after successful completion of the course, to support FIVS and the University in developing a case-study (e.g. through an interview on paper or video) for use in the media including social media) and work with us to consider other ways of supporting their continued professional development.

Best of luck to all applicants!

Have Your Say on FIVS-APACE

As discussed during our recent meetings in Paris, we believe it is time to update FIVS-APACE our specialised database for additives and processing aids approved for winemaking worldwide.

Before we begin, we require your valuable input to ensure that FIVS-APACE better aligns with your needs.

Please take a moment to:

• Explore the APACE resource to familiarise yourself with its content.
• Complete a brief survey to share your awareness, usage, and potential support for this important project.

The survey is quick, and your insights will make a big difference.

Thank you for your time and support!

The FIVS team

We are pleased to have published, on our public website, a DETAILED ARTICLE setting out the key points from the discussion with Steve Wearne, Chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission at our meetings last month in Paris.

Since 1986, FIVS has been a formal Observer of Codex, a longstanding position that has helped FIVS and our members grow a deep understanding of the importance of Codex and contributing to its work. FIVS exclusive status in the alcoholic beverage sector underscores our duty to ensure that Codex addresses pertinent issues for the wine sector at the right level, at the right moments and in the most effective ways.

Steve delivered a leadership talk to FIVS delegates followed by an informal and insightful “fireside chat” with Tim Ryan, Compliance Director of Gallo and Chair of the FIVS Codex Working Group.

A copy of his slides and the text of his speechare available exclusively to FIVS members on the password protected area of our website.

Whether you are a long-time member of FIVS or just discovering what we have to offer, your suggestions for future thought-leaders for us to invite to our events are very welcome. Please speak with one of the team about your ideas. Together we will continue to build our dynamic and forward-thinking global wine community.

In conversation with Steve Wearne, Chair of Codex Alimentarius Commission

FIVS had the honour of hosting Steve Wearne, Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) at our FIVS in-person Paris meetings in October. Codex, according to its Chairperson “brings 188 separate countries, all with different laws and regulations together to manage to safely and efficiently trade food products.

Since 1986, FIVS has been a formal Observer of Codex, a longstanding position that has helped FIVS and our members grow a deep understanding of the importance of Codex and contributing to its work. FIVS exclusive status in the alcoholic beverage sector underscores our duty to ensure that Codex addresses pertinent issues for the wine sector at the right level, at the right moments and in the most effective ways.

Steve delivered a leadership talk to FIVS delegates followed by an informal and insightful “fireside chat” with Tim Ryan, Compliance Director of Gallo and Chair of the FIVS Codex Working Group.

He spoke about his time as Codex Chair, his advice for Observers and the ways in which he sees Codex working with sectors such as wine in future. Throughout the discussions, the ever-growing need for strong collaboration and support between the private and public sectors came through, to foster understanding and to ensure food safety and quality standards are fair as well as workable.

The role of Observers

Wearne underscored the essential role of Observers within Codex during the prioritisation, development and implementation of Codex standards. While Member governments of Codex make the decisions, Observers offer crucial intelligence and insights into the functionality and pressure points of food safety systems and, of course, important data. By highlighting emerging sectoral priorities, Observers assist Codex in identifying and prioritising new areas of work.

He emphasised that the technical expertise shared by industries and sectors ensures that Codex standards are not only comprehensive but also practical for real-world implementation. Crucially the private sector stands at the forefront of deploying and supporting these standards in real-life scenarios.

Tim Ryan reiterated that FIVS wants to be “top of class” as a Codex Observer and is more committed than ever to “lean in” and actively participate in Committee meetings both in-person and through continued written inputs. Our forthcoming presence in Quebec City at the Codex Committee on Food Labelling would be a prime opportunity for FIVS to advocate for the leadership of Codex Member governments in protecting wellbeing and health and for Codex to continue to lead on safety matters.

Codex mission & future focus areas

While the core mission of Codex (“to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food trade”) has remained steadfast since 1963, Steve Wearne offered a forward-looking vision for Codex to become more outward-facing and inquisitive. He urged Observers to review the latest Circular Letter regarding the development of the Codex Strategic Plan for 2026-2031. While the development of global food safety and quality standards, “remains our core business”, Steve envisions Codex taking proactive steps to address broader global challenges such as transition to resilient food systems. He also highlighted the potential for Codex to adopt a more inquisitive approach using scientific foresight and horizon scanning to set priorities and anticipate future trade disruptions, rather than merely reacting to them. But, he added, “these proposals are still in development as the future Strategy takes shape”.

The conversation then shifted from how Codex might operate in future and onto areas it might look at in more detail. A question from the audience about ‘consumer health protection’ led Steve to note that there’s broad agreement on issues like preventing food poisoning. However, discussions on wellbeing often reveal less consensus. Tim noted that the wine sector’s goal, of course, is to provide as much information on wine as possible in a digital format though the discussion flagged up that there may be issues around fair and open access to digital in lower and middle income countries.

Our heartfelt thanks go to Steve Wearne for his insightful contributions at our in-person Paris meetings. His visit and candid observations have provided us with a new perspective on Codex’ direction and underscored the value of ongoing strategic and technical collaboration with Codex’s vital work.

FIVS holds regular in-person meetings around the world for our members to collaborate and discuss important strategic and technical matters facing the industry and to develop our positioning with important stakeholders like Codex. If you would like to learn more about FIVS “The Voice of Wine” and get involved, then do reach out through our website. Our next in-person meetings are being planned for March 2025 in Brussels and we hope to be in North America later in 2025 too – watch this space!

The FIVS General Assembly held its in-person meeting in Paris on 8 October 2024. The minutes from this meeting are now available for review below.

Access to the document requires login to the FIVS website.