The Moldovan economic entities will be able to fulfill the increased quotas provided by the EU within the autonomous trade preferences system, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov said in a news conference, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. Vasile Bumacov took part in the meeting of the Moldova-EU Subcommittee on Trade and Investment held in Brussels on November 11. In the meeting, Moldova presented the plan of action for the negotiation of the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU, while the European Commission informed about the extension of the autonomous trade preferences granted to Moldova for 2013- 2015 and the rise in the quotas on the export of Moldovan wine and other products. From 2011, the export quota on wine will be 1.5 million decaliters or by 80% larger than the present one. The quota for 2012 will be 1.8 million decaliters, while for 2013-2015 – 2.4 million decaliters. “This year, we could export 10 million bottles of wine to the EU duty-free. We are waiting for the European Parliament’s final decision on quotas. It might be taken in the first half of next year,” Bumacov said. According to the deputy minister, the discussions within the subcommittee were friendly. As a condition for opening the talks on the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU is the signing of a document on the protection of the products with geographical indications and names of origin, Vasile Bumacov asked for a period of transition for Moldova’s exports of sparkling wines and strong alcoholic beverages to the eastern market. “I explained that our brandy and sparkling wines in Russia, Belarus and other CIS countries are known as champagne and cognac. We changed these names, but the consumers did not get used to them. We need a period of 5-7 years to promote them. The wine companies were seriously hit in 2006, when the exports to Russia were halted. It would be a new severe blow to ban the export of products whose names are known by the eastern consumers. We hope we will be understood,” said the deputy minister, adding the Moldovan wines will be exported to the EU under one geographical indication – Moldova, with specific information being written in brackets.