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( 1 ) OJ NO C 261 , 6 . 11 . 1978 , P . 45 .

( 2 ) OPINION DELIVERED ON 29/30 . 11 . 1978 ( NOT YET PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL ).

( 3 ) OJ NO L 311 , 1 . 12 . 1975 , P . 40 .

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE

OF 5 FEBRUARY 1979

AMENDING DIRECTIVE 75/726/EEC ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER STATES CONCERNING FRUIT JUICES AND CERTAIN SIMILAR PRODUCTS

( 79/168/EEC )

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN

COMMUNITIES ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY , AND IN PARTICULAR ARTICLES 43 AND 100 THEREOF ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION ,

HAVING REGARD TO THE OPINION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ( 1 ),

HAVING REGARD TO THE OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE ( 2 ),

WHEREAS COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 75/726/EEC OF 17 NOVEMBER 1975 ON THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF THE MEMBER STATES CONCERNING FRUIT JUICES AND CERTAIN SIMILAR PRODUCTS ( 3 ) DOES NOT PROVIDE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF CORRECTING THE ACID CONTENT OF APPLE JUICES ;

WHEREAS IT HAS APPEARED NECESSARY , IN VIEW OF THE PRODUCTION CONDITIONS OBTAINING IN CERTAIN MEMBER STATES , TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR SUCH MEMBER STATES TO AUTHORIZE THE ADDITION OF THREE GRAMS OF CITRIC ACID PER LITRE OF APPLE JUICE ;

WHEREAS THE ANNEX TO DIRECTIVE 75/726/EEC FIXES THE MINIMUM NATURAL ACID CONTENT FOR FRUIT NECTARS ;

WHEREAS THE INTRINSIC ANALYTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SOME OF THE FRUIT PRODUCED IN LARGE QUANTITIES IN THE COMMUNITY DO NOT PERMIT COMPLIANCE WITH THE FIGURES THAT HAVE BEEN FIXED ;

WHEREAS , AS REGARDS THE PRODUCTION OF NON-PULPY NECTARS , THIS DIFFICULTY MAY BE OVERCOME BY LOWERING THE BOTTOM LIMIT OF THEIR NATURAL ACIDITY ;

WHEREAS , MOREOVER , IN THE CASE OF PULPY NECTARS OBTAINED FROM FRUITS WITH A LOW ACID CONTENT , IT IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE FOR TECHNICAL REASONS TO INCREASE THE ACIDITY OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT BY USING A GREATER QUANTITY OF FRUIT ; WHEREAS THE CRITERION OF NATURAL ACIDITY SHOULD NOT THEREFORE BE APPLIED IN THIS CASE ;

WHEREAS THE SECOND INDENT OF THE SECOND SUBPARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 18 ( 1 ) OF DIRECTIVE 75/726/EEC OBLIGES MEMBER STATES TO PROHIBIT TRADE IN THOSE PRODUCTS WHICH DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE DIRECTIVE THREE YEARS AFTER ITS NOTIFICATION ;

WHEREAS , BECAUSE OF POOR SALES IN 1977 , IT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN POSSIBLE TO DISPOSE OF EXISTING STOCKS BEFORE THE EXPIRY OF THIS TIME LIMIT ; WHEREAS THE MEMBER STATES SHOULD THEREFORE BE AUTHORIZED TO EXTEND THE TIME LIMIT IN QUESTION TO FOUR YEARS ,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE :

ARTICLE 1

DIRECTIVE 75/726/EEC SHALL BE AMENDED AS FOLLOWS :

1 . ARTICLE 16 ( 1 ) ( G ) SHALL BE REPLACED BY THE FOLLOWING :

' ( G ) UP TO 3 G/L OF CRITIC ACID MAY BE ADDED TO :

- GRAPE JUICE , WHERE SUCH ADDITION IS AUTHORIZED AT THE TIME OF NOTIFICATION OF THIS DIRECTIVE ;

- APPLE JUICE ; '

2 . THE SECOND INDENT OF THE SECOND SUBPARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 18 ( 1 ) SHALL READ AS FOLLOWS :

' - PROHIBIT TRADE IN THOSE PRODUCTS WHICH DO NOT COMPLY WITH THIS DIRECTIVE THREE YEARS AFTER NOTIFICATION . THIS TIME LIMIT MAY BE EXTENDED TO FOUR YEARS BY THE MEMBER STATES . '

3 . THE ANNEX SHALL BE REPLACED BY THE ANNEX HERETO .

ARTICLE 2

MEMBER STATES SHALL TAKE ALL NECESSARY STEPS TO COMPLY WITH THIS DIRECTIVE ,

- WITH EFFECT FROM 19 NOVEMBER 1978 AS REGARDS ARTICLE 1 ( 2 ),

- NOT LATER THAN 1 JULY 1980 AS REGARDS ARTICLE 1 ( 1 ) AND ( 3 ).

ARTICLE 3

THIS DIRECTIVE IS ADDRESSED TO THE MEMBER STATES .

DONE AT BRUSSELS , 5 FEBRUARY 1979 .

FOR THE COUNCIL

THE PRESIDENT

P . MEHAIGNERIE

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ANNEX

SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO FRUIT NECTARS

// //

NECTARS MADE FROM // MINIMUM TOTAL ACID CONTENT EXPRESSED AS TARTARIC ACID ( G/L OF FINISHED PRODUCT ) // MINIMUM JUICE AND/OR PUREE CONTENT ( % BY WEIGHT OF FINISHED PRODUCT ) //

//

I . FRUITS WITH HIGHLY ACID JUICE INEDIBLE IN THEIR NATURAL STATE //

GUAVAS // 6 // 25 //

PASSION FRUIT ( PASSIFLORA EDULIS ) // 8 // 25 //

BLACKCURRANTS // 8 // 25 //

WHITECURRANTS // 8 // 25 //

REDCURRANTS // 8 // 25 //

GOOSEBERRIES // 9 // 30 //

SALLOW-THORN BERRIES // 9 // 25 //

SLOES // 8 // 30 //

PLUMS // 6 // 30 //

QUETSCHES // 6 // 30 //

ROWANBERRIES // 8 // 30 //

ROSE HIPS ( FRUITS OF ROSA SP .) // 8 // 40 //

SOUR CHERRIES // 8 // 35 //

OTHER CHERRIES // 6 ( 1 ) // 40 //

BILBERRIES // 7 // 40 //

ELDERBERRIES // 7 // 50 //

RASPBERRIES // 7 // 40 //

APRICOTS // 6 ( 1 ) // 40 //

STRAWBERRIES // 5 ( 1 ) // 40 //

MULBERRIES/BLACKBERRIES // 6 // 40 //

CRANBERRIES // 9 // 30 //

QUINCES // 7 // 50 //

AZAROLES ( NEAPOLITAN MEDLARS ) // 8 // 30 //

OTHER FRUITS BELONGING TO THIS CATEGORY // - // 25 //

II . FRUITS WITH JUICE EDIBLE IN THEIR NATURAL STATE //

APPLES // 3 ( 1 ) // 50 //

PEARS // 3 ( 1 ) // 50 //

PEACHES // 3 ( 1 ) // 45 //

CITRUS FRUITS // 5 // 50 //

OTHER FRUITS BELONGING TO THIS CATEGORY // - // 50 //

( 1 ) LIMIT NOT APPLICABLE IN THE CASE OF THE PRODUCT REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 3 ( 2 ) ( C ).