10. 9. 79 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 227/17 
Opinion  on the proposal  for a Council  Regulation  amending  Regulation  (EEC)  No 816/70 
laying  down  additional  provisions  for the common  organization  of the market  in wine  and 
Regulation  (EEC)  No  817/70  laying  down  special  provisions  relating  to quality  wines 
produced  in specified  regions 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the European 
Communities  No  C 52 of 27 February  1979,  page  7. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 26 February  1979  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic  and 
Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  43 of the  Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its opinion  on the above  matter  at its 168th 
plenary  session  held  in Brussels  on 22 and  23 May  1979. 
The full  text  of the opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE, 
Having  regard  to the Treaty  establishing  the European 
Economic  Community,  and  in particular  Article  43 
thereof, 
Having  regard  to the request  made  by the Council  on 
26 February  1979  for an opinion, 
Having  regard  to the  decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
20 February  1979  instructing  the Section  for Agriculture 
to prepare  the Committee's  work  on the matter, 
Having  regard  to the opinion  issued  by the Section  for 
Agriculture  at its meeting  held  on 26 April  1979, 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  submitted  by the 
rapporteur,  Mr De Grave, 
Having  regard  to the  discussions  at its 168th  plenary 
session  held  on 22 and  23 May  1979  (meeting  of 22 May 
1979), 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously: 
General  comments 
1. As  regards  the  first  point  in the  proposed 
Regulation,  the  Committee  notes  that  the  addition  of 
sucrose  in aqueous  solution  to partially  fermented  grape musts  and  new  wines  still  in fermentation  has  been 
authorized  by Regulations  (EEC)  No 816/70  and  (EEC) 
No 817/70  since  April  1970. 
It would  point  out  that  wine  producers  authorized  to 
carry  out  this  practice  were  amply  informed  of the 
deadline  for  the  authorization  period,  which  was 
scheduled  for 30 June  1979. 
2. The  Committee  would  also  point  out  that  this 
method  of producing  wine  has  various  effects  on the 
wine  market: 
(1) The  addition  of water  causes  an artificial  increase  in 
volume,  although  measures  are  planned  by  the 
Community  to reduce  the  EEC's  wine-producing 
potential. 
(2) The  cost  price  of wines  obtained  by adding  sucrose  in 
aqueous  solution  is well  below  that  of wines  made 
using  normal  methods;  this  distorts  competition 
between  the producer  regions. 
(3) The  rules  on labelling  do not make  it compulsory  for 
the consumer  to be informed  that  sucrose  in aqueous 
solution  has  been  added  to his wine. 
(4) The  increase  of 15%  (or  10%)  in volume  may  be 
compounded  by the fact  that  the 15 % so added  may 
be of a wine  that  does  not correspond  to the origin, 
vine variety  and/or  vintage  indicated. 
3. Under  these  circumstances,  and  bearing  in mind 
that (i)  this  method  does  not  enable  products 
corresponding  to the Community's  definition  of wine  to 
No C 227/18 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 10. 9. 79 
be obtained  and  (ii) in the EEC's  other  wine-producing 
regions  it is considered  as a fraudulent  practice  subject  to 
heavy  penalties,  whether  the  wines  involved  are  table 
wines  or quality  wines  psr,  the  Committee  is not  in 
favour  of the derogation  being  extended. 
4. However,  in view  of the  practical  problems  that 
still persist  in certain  regions,  where,  because  of the 
operational  set-up,  other  methods  of removing  acidity 
cannot  be implemented  immediately,  the  Committee 
could  accept  the  Commission's  proposal  allowing  the 
addition  of sucrose  in aqueous  solution  until  15 March 
1981  provided  that: 
— such  an extension  is final  and  limited  to regions 
designated  by the Council's  draft  declaration  and  to 
the Riesling  and  Elbling  vine  varieties, 
— the  addition  of sucrose  in aqueous  solution  is 
permitted  only  to producers  who  abide  by any  bans 
on vineyards  or limits  on per  hectare  yields  that 
might  be laid  down  by national  regulations, 
— it is mentioned  on the label  that  the wine  has been 
enriched  through  the addition  of sucrose  in aqueous 
solution. 
5. As  regards  the second  point  concerning  the use of 
the name  of a specific  region  or geographical  unit  or of a 
specific  traditional  indication  for  describing  a drink 
other  than  wine,  the  Committee  feels  that  traditions 
should  be respected  to rule  out  any  possibility  of 
confusion  (wine  brandies,  marc,  liquers,  flavoured  wines, 
certain  beers,  etc.). 
The rules  should  be amended  to make  it possible  to ban 
or regulate  the use of any  drinks. A Community  list  of exceptions  should  be drawn  up 
based  on proposals  from  the Member  States.  This  list 
could  be revised  when  necessary. 
The last  date  for allowing  such  products  to circulate 
must  be set at 1 January  1980. 
Specific  comments 
Article  1 
Amend  the first  indent  to read  'which  are  made  from 
varieties  of vine  which  yield  relatively  acidic  Riesling  and 
Elbling  grapes'. 
Replace  the second  indent  by an exhaustive  list of the 
wine-growing  regions  which  are authorized  to continue 
using  sucrose  in aqueous  solution  (list  in the  draft 
Council  declaration). 
Article  2 
The same  changes  should  be made  to this  Article  as were 
made  to Article  1. 
Article  3 
Add after  'However,  Article  2 (2) shall  apply  from 
1 January  1980'  the sentence  'As a result,  the products 
affected  will  no longer  be able  to use  the  banned 
descriptions  as from  this  date'. 
Done  at Brussels,  22 May  1979. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Fabrizia  BADUEL  GLORIOSO