Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No . . .

of . . .

amending Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 on the common organisation of the market in wine (98/C 87/09)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,

Whereas all new planting of vines is prohibited until 31 August 1998; whereas, in view of the situation on the wine market, this prohibition should be extended until 31 August 1999 pending Council decisions on reform of the sector; whereas the Member States need a further marketing year in which to implement the provision permitting the authorisation of new planting on areas intended for the production of certain wines;

Whereas, to take account of the special conditions in which table wines are produced in Spain, temporary derogations should be laid down concerning blending of wines in that Member State;

Whereas, as a temporary derogation, the total acidity to table wines should be fixed at a lower level to take account of trends in this respect;

Whereas, pending Council decisions on reform of the sector and in order to avoid any legal hiatus, certain provisions referred to in article 39 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2087/97 (2), should be extended for a further wine year;

Whereas Article 46 (4) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 provides that campaigns to promote the consumption of grape juice may only be conducted until the 1997/98 wine year; whereas they should be continued for one wine year so that their effectiveness may be assessed;

Whereas Article 65 (5) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 provides that, during the 1997/98 wine year, the Commission is to submit to the Council a report on maximum sulphur dioxide levels in wine and any proposals arising therefrom; whereas the significance for the sector of the sulphur dioxide problem calls for proposals taking account in particular of the work forthe International Vine and Wine Office (IWO); whereas that time limit should therefore be deferred by one wine year,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 is amended as follows:

1. In Article 6 (1)

- in the first subparagraph '31 August 1998` is replaced by '31 August 1999`,

- in the third subparagraph 'and/or 1998/99` is added after '1997/98`.

2. In the third subparagraph of Article 16 (5), 'between 1 September 1997 and 31 August 1998` is replaced by 'between 1 September 1998 and 31 August 1999`.

3. In Article 39:

in the first and second subparagraphs of paragraph 10, '1997/98` is replaced by '1998/99`,

in paragraph 11, '1997/98` is replaced by '1998/98`.

4. In Article 46 (4), '1997/98` is replaced by '1998/99`.

5. In article 65 (5), '1 April 1998` is replaced by '1 April 1999` and '1 September 1998` is replaced by '1 September 1999`.

6. In Annex I, the third subparagraph of point 13 is replaced by the following: 'Notwithstanding the fourth indent, for the 1998/99 wine year, table wine produced in the Community may not have a total acidity content expressed as tartaric acid of less than 4 gram per litre`;

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

It shall apply from 1 September 1998.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at . . .

For the Council

. . .

(1) OJ L 84, 27.3.1987, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 292, 25.10.1997, p. 1.