G/SPS/N/EU/489  
21 May 2021  
(21-4269) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Health and Food Safety Directorate -General  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Wine products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Draft Commission Delegated Regulation amending 
Delegated Regulation (EU)  2019/934 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council as regards authorised oenological practices . 
Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  30, including the Annexes  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/EEC/21_3505_01_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/SPS/EEC/21_3505_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934 supplements 
Regula tion (EU) No 1308/2013 as regards rules that are necessary to ensure the proper 
functioning of the internal market for grapevine products. In particular, it defines in a clear 
and precise manner the permitted oenological practices including the methods for  
sweetening wines, the limits on the use of certain substances that may be used for wine -
making and the conditions for using some of those substances for wine -making. It also 
aligns certain provisions with relevant international standards, namely the Inter national 
Code of Oenological Practices and the International Oenological Codex of the International 
Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), as regards its Annex IA.  
The draft Commission Delegated Regulation amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 
2019/934 introduc es new oenological practices on the basis of resolutions adopted in 2019 
and 2020 by the OIV. It also provides clarifications on, and improves consistency of, some 
of the existing provisions. Lastly, it withdraws the authorisation of DL tartaric acid in th e 
light of its observed nephrotoxic effects.  
Please note that elements pertaining to intellectual property rights, in particular to the 
application and/or implementation of Geographical Indications (GIs) are included in this 
notification as part of a legis lative package but clearly fall outside the scope of the SPS 
agreement.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage fro m pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  G/SPS/N/EU/489  
 
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  [ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international st andard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  This proposed regulation provides for the withdrawal of the 
authorisation of DL tartaric acid, in the light of a recent Scientific Opinio n of the European 
Food Safety Authority which identified a level of toxicity of this compound to kidneys. The 
OIV currently maintains the authorisation of DL tartaric acid.  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
Regulati on (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 
17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural 
products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 
1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671 -854).  
http://eur -lex.europa.eu/legal -
content/EN/TXT/?qid=1502976703496&uri=CELEX:32013R1308  
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934 of 12 March 2019 supplementing 
Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards 
wine-growing areas where the alcoholic strength may be increased, authorised oenological 
practices and restrictions applicable to the production and conservation of grapevine 
products, the minimum percentage of alcohol for by -products and their disposal, and 
publication of OIV files (OJ L 149, 7.6.2019, p. 1).  
https://eur -lex.europa.eu/legal -content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02019R0934 -
20190627&qid=1613637400178&from=EN   
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Augus t/September 2021  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : October/November 2021  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : Twenty  days after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.  
The withdrawal of the authorisation of DL tartaric acid and its neutral salt of potassium and 
the amendment of Appendix 4 to Annex I to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934 shall 
apply from six months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 20 July 2021  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [X]  Nation al Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit D2 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263  
Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu  G/SPS/N/EU/489  
 
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  13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit D2 -Multil ateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(32 2) 29 54263  
Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu