G/TBT/W/562  
29 November  2018 
(18-7530) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
EUROPEAN UNION – DRAFT IM PLEMENTING REGULATIONS AMENDING  
REGULATION (EC) NO. 607/ 2009 LAYING DOWN DETAILED RULES FOR 
THE APPLICATION OF COUN CIL REGULATION (EC) NO . 479/2008  
AS REGARDS P ROTECTED DESIGNATIONS OF ORIGIN AND 
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS, TRADITIONAL TERMS,  
LABELL ING AND PRESENTATION OF CERTAIN  
WINE SECTOR PRODUCTS  
STATEMENT BY ARGENTINA TO THE COM MITTEE ON  
TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE  
14 AND 15 NOVEMBER 2018  
The following communi cation, dated 2 2 November  2018, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Argentina . 
 
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1.  Argentina regrets having to reiterate this particular trade  concern regarding the unjustified delay 
on the part of the EU in approving the registration of the tradit ional terms "Reserva" and 
"Gran  Reserva" for use in the labelling of Argentine wines that a re exported and marketed in the  EU. 
2.  For over ten years now our country has been unsuccessfully raising before this Committee its 
concern about certain provisions of Regulation s (EC) No. 607/2009 and No. 479/2008 and,  in 
particular over the past six years, about the undue delays in the final approval of the traditi onal 
terms "Reserva" and "Gran Reserva".  
3.  With respect to the draft regulations notified by the EU (G/TBT/N/EU/570 and G/TBT/N/EU/571), 
which will repeal Regulation (EC) No . 607/2009, Argentina submitted detailed comments on each 
notification in mid -July 2018. 
4.  Broadly speaking, Argentina notes that despite the time that has elapsed  since the 
EU's announcement of the amendment of the wine regime, the drafts notified are essentially a 
continuation of the regime currently in force.  
5.  More specifically, among the issues that have been identified as worrying, we wish to highlight 
the following, which have already been raised  in connection with the present regime : 
i. The requirements for completing the request for protection of tradition al terms, in 
particular Article  26.1, subparagraphs (b) and (f), establish a link with a protected 
designation of origin or a protected geographical indication . In this regard, Argentina is of 
the view that the use of a traditional term is independent of the use of a geographical 
indicati on or a registered appellation of origin or a protected designation of origin . 
Traditional terms are associated with a type or style of wine or a wine -making practice, 
which is not necessarily associated with a geographical link;  
ii. the absence of time -frames  in the different phases of the procedure for the registration of 
traditional terms (e.g. for the examination of validity by the Commission, and for taking a 
decision on the rejection or recognition of the traditional term) . G/TBT/W/562  
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  6.  Having regard to the comments s ubmitted in the light of Article 2.9.2 of the TBT Agreement, our 
country wishes to know how the EU intends to  take those comments  into account . 
7.  In addition, we would like the EU to inform us of the status of the drafts that had been scheduled 
for approval by August  2018, according to the respective notifications . In particular, we would like 
to know when they will be formally approved in the EU.  
8.  We wish to recall that Argentina complied in good faith with all the requirements established 
by EU law, having in 2012 completed the substantive step for regist ration according to 
Regulations  607/2009 and 479/2008.  
9.  Therefore, in the interests of ending thi s altogether uncertain situation,  which dates back more 
than six  years, and which has not progressed in the past three years, allegedly owing to the reform 
of the wine sector in the EU, we would be most grateful if the EU could indicate when Argentina's 
request for registration of the traditional terms "Reserva" and "Gran Reserva" will be formally 
approved.  
10.  In view of the foregoing, Argentina once again urges the EU to conclude, without further undue 
delay, the formal procedure for approving the registratio n of the tradit ional terms "Reserva" and 
"Gran  Reserva" . To this end, it requests the EU to include this matter as an item on the agenda of 
the next meeting of the College of Commissioners and to publish the relevant regulatory act in its 
Official Journal,  so that Argentine wines may enter the European market without discriminatory and 
unjustified restrictions.  
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