26. 10. 82 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 281/3 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 79/112/EEC on the approximation 
of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of 
foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate consumer 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 12 October 1982) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 100 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 Article 6 (3) of Council Directive 
79/112/EEC (') provides, with respect to alcoholic 
beverages containing more than 1 • 2 % by volume of 
alcohol, that the Council shall, before expiry of a 
period of four years following notification of that 
Directive, determine the rules for labelling ingredients 
and, possibly, indicating the alcoholic strength; 
Whereas it is necessary in the interests of consumers 
that the inclusion on the labelling of such beverages 
of particulars of their ingredients and alcoholic 
strength be compulsory while at the same time there 
should be scope for detailed rules to be determined 
by specific provisions; 
Whereas the rules for indicating alcoholic strength 
will have to be established subsequently, especially 
with regard to tolerances; 
Whereas, with respect to beer, an addition should be 
made to Annex I to the abovementioned Directive, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: 
Article 1 
Directive 79/112/EEC is hereby amended as follows: 
1. The following point 9 is added to Article 3 (1): 
'9. with respect to beverages containing more than 
1 • 2 % by volume of alcohol, the alcoholic 
strength.' 
(') OJ No L 33, 8. 2. 1979, p. 1. 2. Article 6 (3) is replaced by the following: 
'3. In the case of: 
— products covered by CCT headings 22.04 and 
22.05, 
— spirituous beverages, 
— aromatized wines, 
the rules concerning the inclusion of ingredients 
on the label shall be those laid down in the specific 
Community provisions applicable to such 
beverages.' 
3. The following subparagraph (c) is added to Article 
6(8): 
'(c) in the case of beverages containing more than 
1 • 2 % by volume of alcohol where water is an 
ingredient without which the beverage cannot 
be obtained.' 
4. The following Article 10 (a) is inserted: 
Article 10(a) 
The rules concerning indication of the alcoholic 
strength shall: 
(a) in the case of: 
— products covered by CCT headings No 
22.04 and No 22.05, 
— spirituous beverages, 
— aromatized wines, 
be those laid down in the specific Community 
provisions applicable to such beverages; 
(b) in the case of other beverages containing more 
than 1 • 2 % by volume of alcohol, be laid 
down in accordance with the procedure 
provided for in Article 17.' 
5. The first subparagraph of Article 11 (3) (a) is 
replaced by the following: 
'(a) The particulars listed in Article 3 (1), points 1, 
3, 4 and 9, shall be simultaneously visible.' 
6. The following is added to Annex I: 
'Definition 
All non-malted cereals used in the manufacture of 
beer. 
No C 281/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 26. 10.82 
Hops, hop powder, hop extracts used in the manu­
facture of beer and similar beverages. 
Designation 
Non-malted cereals(s) or mixture(s) of non-malted 
cereals. 
Hops.' 
Article 2 
1. Member States shall, where appropriate, amend 
their legislation to comply with this Directive and 
shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof; 
legislation thus amended shall be applied in such a 
manner as to: — permit trade in products which comply with the 
provisions of this Directive by 31 December 1984 
at the latest, 
— prohibit trade in products which do not comply 
with the provisions of this Directive by 31 
December 1985 at the latest. 
2. However, in the case of certain long-keeping 
products, the time limit fixed in the second indent of 
paragraph 1 above may be extended in accordance 
with the procedure laid down in Article 17 of 
Directive 79/ 112/EEC. 
Article 3 
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.