Wine Competitiveness as a Main Permanent Land Use Production: A Comparison Between Countries of the Southern EU Region

Viticulture and wine production uses approximately 30% of the land occupied with permanent crops in the EU. In countries in the southern part of the EU, this share is even higher, reaching up to about 80% in France and 55% in Romania. In recent years, the development of grape and wine production has been under pressure from climate and market changes. Competitiveness and value creation capacity are among the key factors in the sustainability of national production and the viability of wine regions. This study examines wine production competitiveness in the countries of the southern EU region within the European Single Market, comparing Bulgaria with leading producers—France, Italy, and Spain—and neighboring Romania. A set of production and trade indicators was applied, and the overall assessment was derived through a composite competitiveness index that simultaneously captures market performance and value creation potential. The results indicate a high level of competitiveness in the three leading European wine-producing countries, albeit with differences in the realization of their value creation potential. Bulgaria and Romania exhibit relatively low levels of competitive positioning, which could be improved through investments in technology and innovation, the implementation of collective marketing strategies, and the development of a national sectoral brand.