Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

HEALTH

Why Switzerland is paying producers to sell gourmet wine on the cheap

Switzerland’s wineries will receive 10 million francs from the government to repackage their gourmet product, unsold due to the coronavirus lockdown, and sell it as cheaper table wines.

Published: 20 May 2020 18:26 CEST

Switzerland’s Department for Economic Affairs, Education and Research said on Wednesday it would be establishing a multi-million franc fund to assist the Swiss wine industry which has been decimated by the coronavirus crisis.

A 10 million franc fund will be set up to encourage makers of gourmet or luxury wines to repackage their product for sale as cheaper wines.

The wines have received the ‘controlled designation of origin’ (appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC)) designation, which applies only to wines which have complied with strict geographical and production standards.

READ: 19 mildly interesting facts about Swiss wine

The wine, usually sold in restaurants and bars, can cost in the hundreds of francs, but has failed to sell due to coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

It is expected to be sold as table wines or to be used in the food industry.

A great time to be a Swiss table wine enthusiast. Photo by mali maeder from Pexels

How will the scheme work?

From June 1st, the fund will be made available to winemakers in all Swiss wine-growing cantons.

A total fund of CHF10 million will be made available from the Federal Council – but the government has encouraged individual Swiss cantons to chip in more in order to ensure all wine growers are protected.

Winegrowers will receive CHF2 for each litre of downgraded wine with an AOC designation.

The financial support will be divided proportionally to the vineyards of the cantons, thus creating the same conditions for all Swiss wine producers.

In addition to the CHF10 million fund, additional money has previously been made available to wine growers for sales and promotion.

In order to receive the funding, winegrowers will also be required to reduce the maximum yields for the 2020 harvest. A maximum of 1.2 kilograms per square metre for white wine and 1 kilogram for red wine per square metre will be allowed.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Why do so many foreign doctors practice in Switzerland?

In 2023, there were 16,590 foreign physicians working in Switzerland, according to a press release published by the Swiss Medical Association (FMH) on Wednesday.

While that in itself may not seem like a huge number, it constitutes 40.4 percent of the physicians practicing in Switzerland.

And this figure is not static: it has grown from ‘only’ 9,756 a decade ago.

Why has this been happening?

At least part of the answer lies in the general shortage of qualified personnel that has been plaguing many sectors of Switzerland’s economy — including healthcare.

“This increased need to call on foreign specialised personnel reminds us that there are not enough doctors trained in Switzerland to cover needs,” the FMH said.

Medical experts have been sounding the alarm about this scarcity.

According to FMH’s president Yvonne Gilli, Switzerland is training too few doctors, which will create a “healthcare gap” and have dire consequences in the near future, especially since more people are living longer and are developing chronic illnesses.

READ ALSO : Why Switzerland faces dire problem of doctor shortages

Where is Switzerland recruiting doctors from?

Germany is by far the country that ‘exports’ the most doctors to Switzerland, (50.2 percent).

Italy comes next with 9.5 percent, followed by France (7.1 percent) and Austria (6 percent).

The reason for this is simple and pragmatic at the same time: these physicians not only speak one of the national languages, but they are also EU nationals, which means they can work in Switzerland with no problem.

That’s because the agreement on the free movement of people allows the recognition of diplomas from EU and EFTA states, though doctors coming from those countries must still obtain an authorisation to practice in Switzerland.

Are Swiss doctors required to speak English?

Most physicians working in Switzerland have some level of English proficiency, ranging from basic to fluent because much of medical literature, as well as some exams, are in English only.

However, the only official requirement set by both the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the FMH is that doctors practicing in Switzerland must speak the language of the canton in which they work (which is why physicians from Germany, Italy, France, and Austria are recruited) .

Nowhere in the official requirements list, however, is there any mention of the obligation to be proficient in English in order to be able to practice medicine in Switzerland.

READ ALSO : Do all doctors in Switzerland have to speak English?

And if you are new in Switzerland and are looking for a physician, this article will provide useful information:

READ ALSO: What you should know about finding a doctor in Switzerland

Url copied to clipboard!