No C 338/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 15.12.83 
Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 337/79 on the 
common organization of the market in wine 
COM(83) 639 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 30 November 1983) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 43 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Whereas, although the Council recently made major 
changes to the rules governing the wine sector, 
further alterations to those provisions are required in 
connection with the rationalization of the common 
agricultural policy; 
Whereas the system of short-term private storage aid 
for table wine and must, which was intended to 
stabilize the market at a period when supply and 
demand were more or less in balance, plays 
practically no role in the situation of constant 
surpluses which has prevailed in the wine sector since 
1979; whereas the measure's effectiveness no longer 
justifies the appreciable financial burden it entails and 
the measure should therefore be abolished; 
Whereas the provisions concerning the minimum 
natural alcoholic strength and the enrichment of wine 
affect the balance of production between the different 
wine-growing regions and the extent of the 
production potential of Community wine-growing as 
a whole; whereas the system at present in force, 
which consists in authorizing the use of sucrose in 
certain regions of the Community and simultaneously 
granting aid for the use of concentrated must and 
rectified concentrated must, while intended to place 
producers on an equal footing, could encourage them 
to make systematic use of enrichment, thus helping to 
increase wine-growing potential artificially and 
aggravate the problem of surpluses; whereas the 
encouragement to increase yields should therefore be 
removed, while safeguarding the balance between 
producers; whereas for this purpose it is necessary, in 
the medium term, to prohibit enrichment by the 
addition of sucrose and to terminate the system of aid 
to musts used for enrichment and, in the short term, 
to raise the minimum natural alcoholic strength in the 
different wine-growing zones and limit and 
differentiate the abovementioned aid system on the basis of objective enrichment requirements; whereas 
provision should be made for the whole problem to 
be re-examined on the basis of a Commission report 
before the new system is applied; 
Whereas, in view of the abundant quantities available 
and the need to improve further the quality of the 
wines offered on the market, the maximum quantity 
of alcohol contained in the products delivered for 
distillation under Article 39 of Council Regulation 
(EEC) No 337/79 (l), as last amended by Regulation 
(EEC) No 1595/83 (2), should be raised; 
Whereas application of the provisions governing the 
activation of compulsory distillation and the fixing of 
the quantities of wine to be distilled is likely to give 
rise to difficulties which might interfere with disposal 
of all the year's surpluses; whereas, in order to 
resolve such difficulties, the criteria for determining 
the quantity of wine which must be distilled should be 
laid down; whereas on this occasion some technical 
adjustments to improve management of the measures 
should be introduced in Articles 15 and 41 of the said 
Regulation, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
Regulation (EEC) No 337/79 is hereby amended as 
follows: 
1. Article 7 is replaced by the following: 
'Article 7 
1. A system of aid is hereby instituted for the 
private storage of: 
— table wine, 
— grape must, concentrated grape must and 
rectified concentrated grape must. 
2. The aid referred to in paragraph 1 shall be 
granted subject to the conclusion with 
intervention agencies, between 16 December and 
15 February of the following year and on 
conditions to be determined, of a long-term 
storage contract. 
3. Long-term storage contracts for table wine 
shall be concluded for a period of nine months. 
(1) OJNoL54, 5. 3. 1979, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No L 163, 22. 6. 1983, p. 48. 
15.12. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 338/9 
Long-term storage contracts for grape must, 
concentrated grape must and rectified 
concentrated grape must shall be concluded for a 
period ending on 15 September following their 
conclusion. 
4. Long-term storage contracts may be 
concluded if the estimates for a wine-growing 
year show that the quantity of table wine 
available at the beginning of that year exceeds by 
more than four months' consumption the normal 
utilization for that year. 
It may be decided that: 
(a) long-term storage contracts for table wine 
may be concluded only for table wines to be 
determined; 
(b) grape must covered by a long-term storage 
contract may be processed, wholly or in part, 
into concentrated grape must or rectified 
concentrated grape must during the period of 
validity of the contract; 
(c) grape must and concentrated grape must 
intended for the manufacture of grape juice 
may not be the subject of long-term storage 
contracts. 
5. Decisions to permit the conclusions of long-
term storage contracts shall be taken in 
accordance with the procedure laid down in 
Article 67. 
The same procedure shall be followed: 
(a) for deciding, if justified by the development 
of the market situation and in particular by 
the rate at which contracts are concluded, 
that long-term storage contracts may no 
longer be concluded, even before 15 
February; 
(b) for adopting other detailed rules for the 
application of this Article.' 
2. Article 8 is deleted. 
3. The second subparagraph of Article 9 (4) is 
deleted. 
4. Article 10 is replaced by the following: 
'Article 10 
1. Where the foreseeable size of stocks held by 
producers at the end of the marketing year and 
the prospects for the following harvest indicate 
that difficulties may arise in storing that harvest, 
it may be decided to grant aid for the re-storage 
of table wines which are the subject of long-term 
storage contracts. 
2. Detailed rules for the application of 
paragraph 1, in particular as regards the period of application, the amount of aid and the conditions 
of re-storage shall be adopted in accordance with 
the procedure laid down in Article 67.' 
5. Article 14 is replaced by the following: 
'Article 14 
1. A system of aid is hereby instituted for the 
use of: 
— concentrated grape must, 
— rectified concentrated grape must, 
produced in the Community, when they are used 
in order to increase the alcoholic strengths 
referred to in Article 32 of this Regulation and in 
Article 8 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 338/79. 
2. In order to avoid disturbing the production 
potential, the grant of aid may be restricted: 
— to producers who can prove, in respect of the 
grapes or grape must used, that the yield per 
hectare was not more than a figure to be 
determined, differentiated if necessary 
according to wine-growing zone, 
— to the use of the products referred to in 
paragraph 1 to achieve a maximum increase in 
alcoholic strength to be determined, differen­
tiated if necessary according to wine-growing 
zone by reference to the characteristics of the 
products to be produced. 
3. The amount of the aid shall be fixed in 
ECU per % vol potential alcoholic strength and 
per hectolitre of concentrated grape must or 
rectified concentrated must, taking into account 
the difference between the cost of enrichment by 
means of those products and by means of 
sucrose. 
In order to avoid disturbing the market or 
distorting trade, the amount referred to in the 
first subparagraph may be differentiated 
according to the wine-growing zone where the 
grapes used to make the products referred to in 
paragraph 1 originated. 
4. The procedure laid down in Article 67 shall 
be followed: 
— to fix the amount of the aid each year before 
31 August 
— to determine the conditions for granting the 
aid, the limitations and differentiations 
referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 and any 
other arrangements for applying this Article. 
5. The system referred to in paragraph 1 shall 
apply until the 1988/89 marketing year.' 
No C 338/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 15.12.83 
6. In Article 15: 
(a) paragraph 6 is replaced by the following: 
'6. If the situation on the market in table 
wine so requires, the measures referred to in 
this Article may be restricted: 
— to certain table wines determined 
according to type, 
— to one or more wine-growing zones or 
parts of wine-growing zones.'; 
(b) paragraph 8 is replaced by the following: 
'8. The Council, acting by a qualified 
majority on a proposal from the Commission, 
shall t adopt general rules concerning the 
distillation referred to in this Article, in 
particular: 
— the conditions under which distillation is 
to be carried out, 
— the criteria for fixing the amount of the 
aid, so as to enable the products obtained 
to be disposed of.' 
7. In Article 32: 
(a) the second subparagraph of paragraph 1 is 
replaced by the following: 
'The products referred to in the first sub­
paragraph may not have their natural 
alcoholic strength by volume increased unless 
their minimum natural alcoholic strength by 
volume is not less than: 
— 6 % vol in wine-growing zone A, with the 
exception of that part of the zone 
corresponding to the specified regions 
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Ahr, Mittelrhein and 
Moselle luxembourgeoise, for which the 
alcoholic strength is fixed at 5,5 % vol, 
— 7 % vol in wine-growing zone B, 
— 8 % vol in wine-growing zone C I a), 
— 8,5 % vol in wine-growing zone C I b), 
— 9 % vol in wine-growing zone C II, 
— 9,5 % vol in wine-growing zones C III a) 
and C III b).'; 
(b) the following paragraph is added: 
'5. Before 1 January [1987] the 
Commission shall present the Council with a 
report on: 
(a) the wine production conditions resulting, 
from 1989/90 onwards, from the termi­
nation of the aid system referred to in 
Article 14 and the prohibition of the 
operation referred to in Article 33 (3); 
and 
(b) the conclusions to be drawn from this as 
regards the alcoholic strengths by volume 
of products in the wine sector aftd the rules governing increases in natural 
alcoholic strength by volume. 
Where necessary, the report referred to in the 
first subparagraph shall be accompanied by 
appropriate proposals.' 
8. Article 33 (3) is replaced by the following: 
'3. The addition of sucrose referred to in 
paragraph 1 (a) and (b) may be made only: 
— by addition of dry sucrose, 
— in wine-growing regions where it is 
traditionally or exceptionally practised in 
accordance with legislation existing on 8 May 
1970, 
— until 15 March 1989.' 
9. Article 39 (2) is replaced by the following: 
'2. Any natural or legal person or group of 
persons, with the exception of the persons 
and groups referred to in paragraph 4, who has 
made wine shall be required to deliver for 
distillation all the by-products of the winemaking 
and, if necessary, wine from their own pro­
duction. 
The quantity of alcohol contained in the products 
delivered for distillation shall be at least equal to 
a percentage to be determined of the volume of 
alcohol contained in the wine produced. The 
assessment of that volume shall be made on the 
basis of a standard natural minimum alcoholic 
strength by volume laid down for each wine­
growing year in each wine-growing zone. 
The percentage mentioned in the second sub­
paragraph may not be more than: 
— 10 % if the wine has been obtained by direct 
vinification of grapes, 
— 5 % if the wine has been obtained by 
vinification of grape must, partially fermented 
grape must or new wine still in fermentation. 
This paragraph may be waived for categories of 
producers to be determined, for certain 
production regions and for wines subject to the 
distillation referred to in Article 40.' 
10. In Article 41: 
(a) the second subparagraph of paragraph 1 is 
replaced by the following: 
'However, compulsory distillation shall be 
decided on only if such distillation does not 
entail a disproportionate administrative 
burden, taking into account the quantity of 
wine to be distilled calculated in accordance 
with paragraph 2.'; 
15.12. 83 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 338/11 
(b) paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: 
'2. The total quantity to be distilled must 
be such as to leave foreseeable end-of-year 
stocks at a level corresponding to five 
months' normal utilization calculated for the 
wine-growing year in question.'; 
(c) the second indent of the second subparagraph 
of paragraph 3 is replaced by the following: 
'— shall be varied, in order to curb the 
increase in Community production, 
according to the yield per hectare of each 
producer in relation to the normal yield 
for the various Community wine-growing 
zones or parts of zones, taking into 
account the information provided by 
each Member State, and the type of table Article 2 
Short-term storage contracts which are being 
performed on the date of entry into force of this 
Regulation shall expire on the date fixed when they 
were concluded. 
Article 3 
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 September 
1984. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and 
directly applicable in all Member States.