COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 203/2012  
of 8 March 2012  
amending Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of 
Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, as regards detailed rules on organic wine  
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,  
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European 
Union,  
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 
28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic 
products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 (  1 ), and in 
particular the second subparagraph of Article 19(3), Articles 
21(2), 22(1), 38(a), and Article 40 thereof,  
Whereas:  
(1) Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 and in particular Chapter 
4 of Title III thereof lays down basic requirements with 
regard to organic production of processed food. The 
detailed rules for the implementation of those basic 
requirements have been established by Commission 
Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 of 5 September 2008 
laying down detailed rules for the implementation of 
Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 on organic 
production and labelling of organic products with 
regard to organic production, labelling and control (  2 ). 
(2) Specific provisions for the production of organic wine 
should be laid down in Regulation (EC) No 889/2008. 
Those provisions should apply to the products of the 
wine sector as referred to in Council Regulation (EC) 
No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007 establishing a 
common organisation of agricultural markets and on 
specific provisions for certain agricultural products 
(Single CMO Regulation) (  3 ). 
(3) The processing of organic wine requires the use of 
certain products and substances as additives or 
processing aids under well-defined conditions. For that 
purpose and on the basis of recommendations of the 
Union-wide study on ‘Organic viticulture and wine- 
making: development of environment and consumer 
friendly technologies for organic wine quality 
improvement and scientifically based legislative 
framework’ (also known as ‘Orwine’) (  4 ) the use of such 
products and substances should be allowed in accordance 
with Article 21 of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007.  
(4) Certain products and substances, which are used as 
additives and processing aids for oenological practices under Commission Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 of 
10 July 2009 laying down certain detailed rules for 
implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 as 
regards the categories of grapevine products, oenological 
practices and the applicable restrictions (  5 ), are derived 
from raw materials of agricultural origin. In such case 
the raw materials may be available on the market in 
organic form. In order to encourage the development 
of their demand on the market, preference should be 
given to the use of additives and processing aids 
derived from organically farmed raw materials.  
(5) Practices and techniques for the production of wine are 
established on the level of the Union in Regulation (EC) 
No 1234/2007 and its implementing rules as laid down 
in Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 and in Commission 
Regulation (EC) No 607/2009 of 14 July 2009 laying 
down certain detailed rules for the implementation of 
Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 as regards 
protected designations of origin and geographical indi ­
cations, traditional terms, labelling and presentation of 
certain wine sector products (  6 ). Using those practices 
and techniques in organic wine-making may not be in 
line with the objectives and principles fixed in Regulation 
(EC) No 834/2007, and in particular with the specific 
principles applicable to the processing of organic food, 
mentioned in Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007. 
Therefore specific restrictions and limitations should be 
set up for certain oenological practices and processes.  
(6) Certain other practices which are widely used in food 
processing are also available for wine-making and may 
also have some effect on certain essential characteristics 
of the organic products and hence on their true nature, 
but at present no alternative techniques are available to 
replace them. This applies to heat treatments, filtration, 
reverse osmosis and the use of ion exchange resins. As a 
consequence those practices should be available to 
organic wine-makers, but their use should be restricted. 
A possibility for re-examination of heat treatment, ion 
exchange resins and reverse osmosis should be foreseen 
in due time.  
(7) Oenological practices and processes which might be 
misleading regarding the true nature of the organic 
products should be excluded in the making of organic 
wine. This applies to the concentration by cooling, the 
dealcoholisation, the elimination of sulphur dioxide by 
physical process, electrodialyses and the use of cation 
exchangers as those oenological practices do significantly 
modify the composition of the product to the point that 
they may be misleading as to the true nature of organic 
wine. For the same purposes, use or addition of certain 
substances might be also misleading regarding the trueEN L 71/42 Official Journal of the European Union 9.3.2012  
( 1 ) OJ L 189, 20.7.2007, p. 1.  
( 2 ) OJ L 250, 18.9.2008, p. 1.  
( 3 ) OJ L 299, 16.11.2007, p. 1.  
( 4 ) http://www.orwine.org/default.asp?scheda=263  ( 5 ) OJ L 193, 24.7.2009, p. 1.  
( 6 ) OJ L 193, 24.7.2009, p. 60.nature of the organic wine. It is therefore appropriate to 
lay down that such substances should not be used or 
added under the organic oenological practices and 
treatment processing.  
(8) Regarding more specifically sulphites, the results of the 
Orwine study have shown that a reduction in the level of 
sulphur dioxides in wines made from organic grapes is 
already achieved by organic producers of wine in the 
Union, as compared to the maximum sulphur dioxide 
content which is authorised for non-organic wines. 
Therefore it is appropriate to fix a maximum sulphur 
content specific to organic wines, which should be 
lower than the level authorised in non-organic wines. 
The necessary quantities of sulphur dioxide depend on 
the various categories of wines and also on certain 
intrinsic characteristics of the wine, notably its content 
in sugar, which should be considered when laying down 
the maximum levels of sulphur dioxides content specific 
to organic wines. However, extreme weather conditions 
may provoke difficulties in certain wine-growing areas 
which make it necessary to use supplementary amounts 
of sulphites in the preparation of wine to achieve stability 
of the final product of that year. It should therefore be 
allowed to increase the maximum sulphur dioxide 
content when such conditions are met.  
(9) Wine is a product with a long shelf-life and some wines 
are stored traditionally for several years in barrels or 
tanks before being placed on the market. Under the 
conditions of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 of 
24 June 1991 on organic production of agricultural 
products and indications referring thereto on agricultural 
products and foodstuffs (  1 ) and for a limited period in 
accordance with Regulation (EC) No 889/2008, the 
marketing of such wines by maintaining the labelling 
requirements under that Regulation should be allowed 
until stocks are exhausted.  
(10) Some of the stored wines were already produced by a 
wine-making process which already complies with the 
rules on the production of organic wine provided for 
by this Regulation. Where this can be proven, the use 
of the Community organic production logo as referred to 
in Article 25(1) of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, called 
from 1 July 2010 the ‘Organic logo of the EU’, should be 
authorised, to allow for fair comparison and competition 
between organic wines produced before and after the 
entry into force of this Regulation. If this is not the 
case, the wine should be labelled exclusively as ‘wine 
made from organic grapes’, without bearing the organic 
logo of the EU, provided that the wine is produced in 
accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 and 
Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 before its amendment by 
this Regulation.  
(11) Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 should therefore be 
amended accordingly.  (12) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in 
accordance with the opinion of the Regulatory 
Committee on Organic Production,  
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:  
Article 1  
Regulation (EC) No 889/2008 is amended as follows:  
(1) Title II is amended as follows:  
(a) in Article 27(1), the introductory phrase is replaced by 
the following:  
‘For the purposes of Article 19(2)(b) of Regulation (EC) 
No 834/2007, only the following substances can be 
used in the processing of organic food, with the 
exception of products of the wine sector, for which 
the provisions of Chapter 3a shall apply:’;  
(b) a new Chapter 3a is inserted:  
‘CHAPTER 3a  
Specific rules for the making of wine  
Article 29b  
Scope  
1. This Chapter lays down specific rules for the 
organic production of the products of the wine sector 
as referred to in Article 1(1)(l) of Council Regulation 
(EC) No 1234/2007 (*).  
2. Commission Regulations (EC) No 606/2009 (**) 
and (EC) No 607/2009 (***) shall apply, save as 
explicitly provided otherwise in this Chapter.  
Article 29c  
Use of certain products and substances  
1. For the purposes of Article 19(2)(a) of Regulation 
(EC) No 834/2007, products of the wine sector shall be 
produced from organic raw material.  
2. For the purposes of Article 19(2)(b) of Regulation 
(EC) No 834/2007, only products and substances listed 
in Annex VIIIa to this Regulation can be used for the 
making of products of the wine sector, including during 
the processes and oenological practices, subject to the 
conditions and restrictions laid down in Regulation (EC) 
No 1234/2007 and Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 and 
in particular in Annex I A to that Regulation.  
3. Products and substances listed in Annex VIIIa to 
this Regulation and marked with an asterisk, derived 
from organic raw material, shall be used if available.EN 9.3.2012 Official Journal of the European Union L 71/43  
( 1 ) OJ L 198, 22.7.1991, p. 1. Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 has been 
repealed and replaced by Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 as from 
1 January 2009.Article 29d  
Oenological practices and restrictions  
1. Without prejudice to Article 29c and to specific 
prohibitions and restrictions provided for in paragraphs 
2 to 5 of this Article, only oenological practices, 
processes and treatments, including the restrictions 
provided for in Article 120c and 120d of Regulation 
(EC) No 1234/2007 and in Articles 3, 5 to 9 and 11 to 
14 of Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 and in their 
Annexes, used before 1 August 2010 are permitted.  
2. The use of the following oenological practices, 
processes and treatments is prohibited:  
(a) partial concentration through cooling according to 
point (c) of Section B.1 of Annex XVa to Regulation 
(EC) No 1234/2007;  
(b) elimination of sulphur dioxide by physical processes 
according to point 8 of Annex I A to Regulation 
(EC) No 606/2009;  
(c) electrodialysis treatment to ensure the tartaric 
stabilisation of the wine according to point 36 of 
Annex I A to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009;  
(d) partial dealcoholisation of wine according to point 
40 of Annex I A to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009;  
(e) treatment with cation exchangers to ensure the 
tartaric stabilisation of the wine according to point 
43 of Annex I A to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009.  
3. The use of the following oenological practices, 
processes and treatments is permitted under the 
following conditions:  
(a) for heat treatments according to point 2 of Annex I 
A to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009, the temperature 
shall not exceed 70 °C;  
(b) for centrifuging and filtration with or without an 
inert filtering agent according to point 3 of Annex 
I A to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009, the size of the 
pores shall be not smaller than 0,2 micrometer.  
4. The use of the following oenological practices, 
processes and treatments shall be re-examined by the 
Commission before 1 August 2015 with a view to 
phase out or to further restrict those practices:  
(a) heat treatments as referred to in point 2 of Annex I 
A to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009;  
(b) use of ion exchange resins as referred to in point 20 
of Annex I A to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009;  (c) reverse osmosis according to point (b) of Section 
B.1 of Annex XVa to Regulation (EC) No 
1234/2007.  
5. Any amendment introduced after 1 August 2010, 
as regards the oenological practice, processes and 
treatments provided for in Regulation (EC) No 
1234/2007 or Regulation (EC) No 606/2009, may be 
applicable in the organic production of wine only after 
the adoption of the measures necessary for the imple ­
mentation of the production rules provided for in 
Article 19(3) of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 and, if 
required, an evaluation process according to Article 21 
of that Regulation.  
___________  
(*) OJ L 299, 16.11.2007, p. 1.  
(**) OJ L 193, 24.7.2009, p. 1.  
(***) OJ L 193, 24.7.2009, p. 60.’;  
(c) Article 47 is amended as follows:  
(i) in the first paragraph, the following point (e) is 
added:  
‘(e) the use of sulphur dioxide up to the maximum 
content to be fixed in accordance with the 
Annex I B to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 if 
the exceptional climatic conditions of a given 
harvest year deteriorate the sanitary status of 
organic grapes in a specific geographical area 
because of severe bacterial attacks or fungal 
attacks, which oblige the winemaker to use 
more sulphur dioxide than in previous years 
to obtain a comparable final product.’;  
(ii) the second paragraph is replaced by the following:  
‘Upon approval by the competent authority, the 
individual operators shall keep documentary 
evidence of the use of the above exceptions. 
Member States shall inform each other and the 
Commission on the exceptions they have granted 
under points (c) and (e) of the first paragraph.’;  
(2) Title V is amended as follows:  
(a) in Article 94(1), the following point (d) is added:  
‘(d) within one month from their approval, the 
exceptions granted by the Member States under 
points (c) and (e) of the first paragraph of 
Article 47.’;  
(b) in Article 95, paragraph 10a is replaced by the 
following:  
‘10a. As regards products of the wine sector, the 
transitional period referred to in paragraph 8 shall 
expire on 31 July 2012.EN L 71/44 Official Journal of the European Union 9.3.2012Stocks of wines produced until 31 July 2012 in 
accordance with either Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 
or Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 may continue to be 
brought on the market until stocks are exhausted, and 
subject to the following labelling requirements:  
(a) the Community organic production logo as referred 
to in Article 25(1) of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, 
called from 1 July 2010 the “Organic logo of the 
EU” may be used provided that the wine-making 
process complies with Chapter 3a of Title II of 
this Regulation;  
(b) operators using “Organic logo of the EU” shall keep 
recorded evidence, for a period of at least five years 
after they placed on the market that wine obtained 
from organic grapes, including of the corresponding 
quantities of wine in litres, per wine category and 
per year;  (c) where the evidence referred to in point (b) of this 
paragraph is not available, such wine may be 
labelled as “wine made from organic grapes”, 
provided that it complies with the requirements of 
this Regulation except those provided for in Chapter 
3a of Title II thereof;  
(d) wine labelled as “wine made from organic grapes” 
cannot bear the “Organic logo of the EU”.’;  
(3) a new Annex VIIIa is inserted, the text of which is set out in 
the Annex to this Regulation.  
Article 2  
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following 
its publication in the  Official Journal of the European Union . 
It shall apply from 1 August 2012.  
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.  
Done at Brussels, 8 March 2012.  
For the Commission  
The President  
José Manuel BARROSOEN 9.3.2012 Official Journal of the European Union L 71/45ANNEX  
‘ANNEX VIIIa  
Products and substances authorised for use or addition in organic products of the wine sector referred to in Article 29c  
Type of treatment in accordance with Annex I A to 
Regulation (EC) No 606/2009  Name of products or substances  Specific conditions, restrictions within the limits and conditions set out in Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 and Regulation (EC) 
No 606/2009  
Point 1: Use for aeration or oxygenation  — Air 
— Gaseous oxygen  
Point 3: Centrifuging and filtration  — Perlite 
— Cellulose 
— Diatomeceous earth  Use only as an inert filtering agent  
Point 4: Use in order to create an inert 
atmosphere and to handle the product 
shielded from the air  — Nitrogen 
— Carbon dioxide 
— Argon  
Points 5, 15 and 21: Use  — Yeasts (1 ) 
Point 6: Use  — Di-ammonium phosphate 
— Thiamine hydrochloride  
Point 7: Use  — Sulphur dioxide 
— Potassium bisulphite or potassium 
metabisulphite  (a) The maximum sulphur dioxide content shall not exceed 100 milligrams per litre for red wines as referred to 
in point 1(a) of Part A of Annex I B to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 and with a residual sugar level lower 
than 2 grams per litre; 
(b) The maximum sulphur dioxide content shall not exceed 150 milligrams per litre for white and rosé wines as 
referred to in point 1(b) of Part A of Annex I B to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 and with a residual sugar 
level lower than 2 grams per litre; 
(c) For all other wines, the maximum sulphur dioxide content applied in accordance with Annex I B to 
Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 on 1 August 2010, shall be reduced by 30 milligrams per litre.  
Point 9: Use  — Charcoal for oenological use  
Point 10: Clarification  — Edible gelatine (2 ) 
— Plant proteins from wheat or peas (2 ) 
— Isinglass (2 ) 
— Egg white albumin (2 ) 
— Tannins (2 ) 
— Casein 
— Potassium caseinate 
— Silicon dioxide 
— Bentonite 
— Pectolytic enzymesEN L 71/46 Official Journal of the European Union 9.3.2012Type of treatment in accordance with Annex I A to 
Regulation (EC) No 606/2009  Name of products or substances  Specific conditions, restrictions within the limits and conditions set out in Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 and Regulation (EC) 
No 606/2009  
Point 12: Use for acidification purposes  — Lactic acid 
— L(+)Tartaric acid  
Point 13: Use for deacidification purposes  — L(+)Tartaric acid 
— Calcium carbonate 
— Neutral potassium tartrate 
— Potassium bicarbonate  
Point 14: Addition  — Aleppo pine resin  
Point 17: Use  — Lactic bacteria  
Point 19: Addition  — L-Ascorbic acid  
Point 22: Use for bubbling  — Nitrogen  
Point 23: Addition  — Carbon dioxide  
Point 24: Addition for wine stabilisation 
purposes  — Citric acid  
Point 25: Addition  — Tannins (2 ) 
Point 27: Addition  — Meta-tartaric acid  
Point 28: Use  — Acacia gum (2 ) (= gum arabic)  
Point 30: Use  — Potassium bitartrate  
Point 31: Use  — Cupric citrate  
Point 31: Use  — Copper sulphate  Authorised until 31 July 2015  
Point 38: Use  — Oak chips  
Point 39: Use  — Potassium alginate  
Type of treatment in accordance with Annex 
III, point A(2)(b) to Regulation (EC) No 
606/2009  — Calcium sulphate  Only for “vino generoso” or “vino generoso de licor”  
(1 ) For the individual yeast strains: if available, derived from organic raw material. 
(2 ) Derived from organic raw material if available.’EN 9.3.2012 Official Journal of the European Union L 71/47