Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 on the common organization of the market in wine (COM(97)0089 - C4-0125/97 - 97/0098(CNS))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 21)

Recital 4a (new)

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Whereas, with effect from the 1997/1998 marketing year, dessert grapes will be treated as fruit and vegetable products; whereas the organization of the market in such products will therefore be established by means of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96(1); whereas, however, in view of the delays which have occurred in the drawing up of the implementing regulations relating to that Regulation and the inevitable difficulties experienced by producers' organizations in preparing and implementing the operational programmes and the market management instruments, the possibility of distilling dessert grapes which are not placed on the market up to the quantities laid down in Article 23 of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 should be extended by one year;

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(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 1.

(Amendment 48)

Recital 4b (new)

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Whereas the measures adopted under the 1996/97 price package, especially with regard to the authorization to plant new vines in derogation from Article 6(1), need to be strengthened and continued so as to enable the demand for high-quality wines to be met and the structural capacity of holdings improved;

(Amendment 49)

Recital 4c (new)

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Whereas wine production in the last four years has not generated the surpluses seen in earlier wine years; whereas, pending a reform of the common organization of the market, the inappropriate and unfair compulsory distillation arrangements should be abolished;

(Amendment 50)

ARTICLE 1(-1) (new)

Article 6(1), third subparagraph (Regulation (EEC) No 822/87)

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-1. The third subparagraph of Article 6(1) is replaced by the following:

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'The second subparagraph shall apply within an overall limit of 20 000 hectares for new vine planting to be carried out over the 1997/98 and/or 1998/99 marketing years. Allocation among the Member States shall be subject to the procedure laid down in Article 83.'

(Amendment 22)

ARTICLE 1(1a) (new)

Article 36(1), first subparagraph (Regulation (EEC) No 822/87)

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1a. In Article 36(1), first subparagraph, '1997' is replaced by '1998'.

(Amendment 23)

ARTICLE 1(1b) (new)

Article 36(1), second subparagraph (Regulation (EEC) No 822/87)

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1b. In Article 36(1), second subparagraph, '1997' is replaced by '1998'

(Amendment 24)

ARTICLE 1(1c) (new)

Article 36(1a) (new) (Regulation (EEC) No 822/87)

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1c. The following paragraph is inserted in Article 36:

"1a. The arrangements for allocating the dessert grapes referred to in paragraph 1 within the quantities referred to in Article 23 of the Regulation (EC) No 2200/96 shall be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 83 of this Regulation and Article 46 of Regulation (EC) No 2200/96.¨

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 on the common organization of the market in wine (COM(97)0089 - C4-0125/97 - 97/0098(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(97)0089 - 97/0098(CNS) ((OJ C 101, 27.3.1997, p. 19.)),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 43 of the EC Treaty (C4-0125/97),

- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on External Economic Relations, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection and the Committee on Development and Cooperation (A4- 0173/97),

1. Approves the Commission proposal, subject to Parliament's amendments;

2. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

3. Asks to be consulted again should the Council intend to make substantial modifications to the Commission proposal;

4. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.