26.9.73 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoL269/1
I
(Actswhosepublicationisobligatory)
REGULATION (EEC)No2592/73OFTHECOUNCIL
of24September1973
supplementing Regulation (EEC)No816/70asregardsthetotalmaximum
contentofsulphurdioxide(SO2)inwinesotherthansparklingwinesandliqueur
winesintendedfordirecthumanconsumption intheCommunity
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropean
EconomicCommunity ,andinparticularArticle43
thereof;
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission ;
HavingregardtotheOpinionoftheEuropeanParlia­
ment;
Whereasitisnecessarytorestrict,inthepreparation
ofwines,theuseofsulphurdioxidewhichisindis­
pensableinthepresentstateofoenologicalknow­
ledgeduringcertainstagesofwineproductionaswell
asintheconservation ofwines;
Whereas,however,inordertotakeaccount,inthe
initialstage,ofthediversification ofCommunitywine
production,itappearsnecessarytoprovideforatransi­
tionalperiodofadaptationtakingintoconsideration
whathasalreadybeenachievedaswellastheefforts
thathavebeenmadeinthisrespectbycertain
MemberStatesinordertoreducelevelsofsulphur
dioxide,inparticularforreasonsofpublichealth;
Whereas,therefore,itisnecessaryduringthistransi­
tionalperiodtofixappropriatelevelsforthedifferent
winesintendedfordirecthumanconsumption ,
whetherproducedwithintheCommunityorimported
fromthirdcountries,forwinesproducedwithintheirterritory,thetotal
sulphurdioxidecontentforwinesintendedfor
directhumanconsumptionotherthansparkling
winesandliqueurwines,shallnotexceed:
(a)200mg/1forredwines,
(b)250mg/1forwhitewines.
However,foraperiodendingon31August1976
andforwinesproducedinCommunitywine­
growingzonesinwhichcontentshigherthan
thosereferredtointhefirstsubparagraph are
allowedon1October1973,themaximumsulphur
dioxidecontent:
(a)shallberaisedto300mg/1forwhitewinesand
250mg/1forredwineswherethesewineshave
aresidualsugarcontent,expressedasinvert
sugar,equaltoorgreaterthan5g/1,
(b)mayberaisedto400mg/1forcertainwhite
qualitywinespsrhavingspecialcharacteristics
ofproductionandpreparation .
Themaximumcontentreferredtointhesecond
subparagraph (b)maybeallowedupto31August
1976alsoforcertainimportedwhitequalitywines
havingspecialcharacteristics ofproductionand
preparation .
2.TheCouncil,actingonaproposalfromthe
Commission ,inaccordancewiththevotingproce­
durelaiddowninArticle43(2)oftheTreaty,may
prolongbefore30June1976theperiodreferred
tointhesecondandthirdsubparagraphs ofpara­
graph1,whiletakingaccountoftheneedto
reduceinprogressivestagesthemaximumsulphur
dioxidecontentsreferredtointhesesubpara­
graphs.Thesereductionsshallbedecidedinaccor­
dancewiththesameprocedure .HASADOPTED THISREGULATION :
Article1
Regulation (EEC)No816/70shallbesupplemented
bythefollowingArticle:
Article26a
1.Withoutprejudicetothemorerestrictive
provisionsthatmaybeappliedbyMemberStates

NoL269/2 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 26.9.73
Article2
Paragraph4ofArticle2ofRegulation (EEC)No
1599/71shallberepealed.3.Inaccordancewiththeprocedurelaiddown
inArticle7ofRegulationNo24,detailedrulesfor
theapplicationofthisArticleshallbeadopted,in
particular :
(a)thelistofqualitywinespsrreferredtoinpara­
graph1,secondsubparagraph (b);
(b)thelistofqualitywinesreferredtoinpara­
graph1lastsubparagraph ;
(c)thetransitionalmeasuresforwinesproduced
before1October1973',Article3
ThisRegulationshallenterintoforceon1October
1973.
ThisRegulationshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicableinallMember
States.
DoneatBrussels,24September1973.
FortheCouncil
ThePresident
lbFREDERIKSEN