Judgment — ECLI:EU:C:2005:609
Date: 2005-10-13
Language of the case: German
Court formation: Third Chamber
Based on: Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (1957)
Subject matter: Agriculture and Fisheries;Wine
Concepts: Description and presentation of wines
Procedure: Reference for a preliminary ruling
Origin: Germany

Summary of the Judgment Agriculture – Common organisation of the markets – Wine – Description and presentation of wines – Regulation No 753/2002 – Use on the label of optional terms – Competition relating to the award of such terms – Conditions for organisation of those competitions – Excluded from the scope of the regulation (Commission Regulation No 753/2002, Art. 21) Article 21 of Regulation No 753/2002 laying down certain rules for applying Council Regulation No 1493/1999 as regards the description, designation, presentation and protection of certain wine sector products allows awards or medals to be featured on the labels of table wines with a geographical indication or quality wines produced in specified regions (‘quality wines psr’) awarded in a competition authorised by a Member State or third country and run with complete impartiality. That article is not therefore designed to lay down rules for the organisation of wine competitions. It follows that entrants or potential entrants to a wine competition cannot rely on that provision to contest the conditions for the organisation of that competition and, in particular, the rules determining the entry fees. (see paras 16-17, 21, operative part)