The ruling handed down by the senior administrative court in Koblenz on the 3rd of February 2010 on the legality of contributions and fees for wine advertising follows "the argumentation put forward by the German Wine Fund in all relevant points", stated the German Wine Fund. The fees levied are not in contradiction with superseding legislation, neither with European nor with constitutional law, so that it is felt there is no need for the case to be passed on to the federal constitutional court. It differs from the federal constitutional court rulings on the agricultural sales fund and on the wood sales fund in that the special fees levied are in agreement with the constitution in as far as they were raised for a homogeneous group of persons who are responsible for financing wine advertising. In the view of the court, "it is evident that the German wine industry is at a disadvantage in international competition". It is necessary "to implement joint marketing measures financed by special fees levied for this purpose", since the wine industry cannot currently fulfill the activities currently in the hands of the German Wine Fund with equal efficiency". German Wine Fund CEO Monika Reule was "very pleased the court ruling was so clear". The court finding is quite clear with regard to the legality of the joint wine advertising programme, financed by special fees. "Effective joint marketing will in future also require financing that is borne in solidarity by all sections of the wine industry", says Monika Reule. (MW / press release)