DRAFT RESOLUTION NO. 523 /X/4.

IT RECOMMENDS THE GOVERNMENT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE

SUSTAINABILITY AND REVITALIZATION OF THE HOME OF THE DOURO

The House of Douro currently lives a real existential drama. Noble institution,

of such great tradition and importance in duriese winemaking, comes facing,

progressively, since 20 years on this part, financial problems and

economic in large size.

A ruinous business carried out with the Old Company, an administrative process of

business nullity, inconsequential, and prolonged for more than 10 years, a management

without any rationality and strategic orientation, were some of the imputs

negatives that contributed to the current situation.

In 1999, an avail granted by the government, to a debt close to the 100 million

euro, seemed to indicate a new path of economic stability, creating as well

the conditions for a renewed functionality of the organization. The historical stock of

wines given in warranty, new life for the Institution.

The legislative package of 1994-95, and the Decree-Law No. 277/2003, constituted without a doubt

interventions by the State leading to the decrease in their functions and competences,

in the meantime transferred to the Douro and Port Wine Institute, where if

developed the valence of interprofessionalism.

The various Reforms of the Common Wine Market Organization in the Union

European, they have also made evolving and reshaping the role of Organizations of

Producers in the context of the new models of production and business organization.

Regardless of the current political view on the reality of the House of Douro,

it seems clear that the Institution did not know, could not, or failed to, adapt

to the new realities resulting from the legislative changes operated in 1995 and 2003,

as well as of Community Regulation.

The non-development of associative support functions for producers, will do

generalize the idea, among the farmers, of the uselessness of the payment of the quota of the quota, which,

second they say, it does not have any kind of return in terms of the provision of

services, at the same time that it is also evident the permanent disappointment and

difficulties of understanding between the various Governments, and the various Directions, to the

long of the past two decades.

There were completely missed opportunities on the part of some leaders, so

like many incomprehensions on the part of the central administration.

Interprofessionalism is the most appropriate functional response to markets each time

more competitive and demanding. Production and trade, resolving their contradictions

of class, establishing convergences with a view to a common goal. Sell

more and better the wines. The functional response to a borderless Europe, the

increasingly global markets, and the normative of the European Union, which among others

things, ended the monopoly of the spirits held by the House of Douro, and

have influenced the national legislator to transfer to the interprofessional organisation,

competencies for it assumed until then.

The House of the Douro let it be able to fix prices, no power left to go to market

the surpluses, and condition the market. Rules of the competition that such as

in other areas of the economy, they no longer make sense in the face of national legislation and

community. But the House of Douro is not hindered from selling wines to the

operators. You have it incidentally done, whenever there is interest in your precious wines

on the part of the exporting trade.

The legislation of 2003 can and should be questioned, both in the formatting of the organs and

in the electoral process, as in the competences delegated to an association

classified as a public law. But she doesn't stop the House from the Douro

takes up its associative and class strand, i.e. its true dimension

While Organization of Producers. The strategic change in the activity of the House

of the Douro imparts. It is incomprehensible to the situation of marasm in which they are

the services of the Institution. It is incomprehensible the self-remoteness of representatives

of the production of the Interprofessional Council.

The wine markets in the world are increasingly difficult and the competitiveness of the

wines Douro, Porto and Moscatel, depends on the presentation of a product of the highest

quality and the best relationship with the price. This responsibility lies with the

producers and their Douro House, it's up to the traders, it's up to the row, organized

in the interprofessional.

Now, the House of Douro lives too much facing inside, for its problems,

for the debt, and for the permanent conflicts, and has not yet realized that, securing the

jobs of its employees, regain the trust of farmers,

gain economic-financial sustainability, and contribute to the associates

improve your income, go through to open new services, develop functions of

agreement with the needs of the winemakers in the technical, administrative area,

legal, social, professional, and in the valences of multifunctionality of the holdings

agricultural.

A modern Organization of Producers (OP), recognized by the State and the

european instances, it is indispensable to prepare and organize the winemakers of the

Douro. And in addition to the immense panoply of own functionalities of the Duma OP,

adjusted to the requirements of the CMO Vitivinery, the House of Douro, better prepared and

valued in the context of the interprofessional, should go on to promote concentration

of the wine offering, creating the conditions for a better negotiation, in volume,

with the exporter trade, in order to defend and value prices, and to improve the

yield of the washers. It is that today prices do not rise by decree. The "cascade"

commercial, which goes from the basket of grapes to the bottle, on the shelf, has today a link

weak. The production. It is this weak link that matters to strengthen, by making aggregation of the

offer, trading a fair price with the trade.

There is an extreme difficulty in Douro in creating and consolidating associative projects. The

individual spirit is dominant in the social and institutional behavior of the Durians.

The disappearance of the House of Douro would lead to the creation of many small

associations, easily manipulated by extraneous interests to production. Ora, in a

situation of these, what kind of interprofessionalism would be built?

In a Vinhater Country in which in the wine range of Porto, 40,000 produce for few

transform and trade, which possibility have these 40,000 of giving their

contribute to the growth and sustainability of the row, if they are not

minimally organized?

The culture of interprofessionalism, has no alternative in this era of global business,

but it has to be based on two strong professions, prepared, respected, that

know to take up their role in the context of a Council, arbitrated, moderate and

regulated by a state that knows and knows to interpret the specificities and

idiosyncrasies of this Region. Without organized production, there is no real

interprofessionalism. And without it, there is no stability and sustainability of the diverse

agents of the row.

It makes for this all the sense that, analyzed all these changes, develop

an effort on the part of the Institution and on the part of the Government to be

found the best solutions leading to the definitive resolution of the passive,

as well as from a new functional orientation for your organization, which reinforces you,

consolidate and give you future.

Thus, the Assembly of the Republic, recommends to the Government:

1-Who request the House of Douro a proposal for Global Financial Sanitation and

an Organizational Restructuring Plan, adjusted to the competencies defined in the

current legislation.

2-Que in that context, study and operationalize the appropriate solutions to the

revitalization of the Institution, which allow the pursuit of the statutory functions that

they are assigned to it, as well as the associative functions of the Organizations of

Producers, according to the European model contemplated in the Reform of the Organization

Common Market for Wine Market.

S. Bento, June 29, 2009

THE DEPUTIES