Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 2332/92 on sparkling wines produced in the Community (COM(95)0744 - C4-0112/96 - 96/0008(CNS))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 4)

ARTICLE 1(-1) (new)

Article 2(1a) (new) (Regulation 2332/92)

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-1. In Article 2, the following paragraph 1a is inserted:

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"1a. Wine, within the meaning of paragraph 1(a), second and third indents, shall also include sparkling wine pursuant to Article 1, which during production has not achieved the legally prescribed excess pressure, or which does not exhibit, or no longer exhibits, this excess pressure.¨

(Amendment 5)

ARTICLE 1a (new)

Recital 12 (Regulation 2333/92)

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Article 1a

In recital 12 of Regulation (EEC) No 2333/92 the words 'or vendor' are to be deleted in the references to the quality sparkling wines psr.

(Amendment 6)

ARTICLE 1b (new)

Recital 12a (new) (Regulation 2333/92)

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Article 1b

In Regulation (EEC) No 2333/92 the following recital 12a is inserted:

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'Whereas in the sector for the production of quality sparkling wines psr the term 'producer' defines the operator who undertakes or arranges the production of sparkling quality wines psr, i.e. pressing, vinification, bottling for the second fermentation, disgorging, addition of expedition liqueur,"

(Amendments 11 and 18)

ARTICLE 1c (new)

Article 3(2) (Regulation (EEC) 2333/92)

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Article 1c

In Regulation (EEC) 2333/92 Article 3(2) shall be replaced by the following:

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'2. In the case of products referred to in Article 1(1)(a) and (b), the description on the labelling shall include, in addition to the information specified in paragraph 1:

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- the name or business name of the producer of quality sparkling wines psr, and

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- the names of the local administrative area or part of such area, and Member State, in which the above-mentioned person's head office is situated,

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in accordance with Article 5(4) and (5).

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For quality sparkling wines psr, reference to the producer in full on the label shall be compulsory. It may be coded if reference to the vendor is authorized on the label.

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In addition the name of the vendor established in the Community can be indicated.

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Where production takes place in a different local administrative area, part of such area or Member State from that referred to in the second indent of the first subparagraph, the information referred to therein shall be supplemented by the name of the local administrative area or part of such area where production was carried out and, if production took place in another Member State, by the name of that Member State.'

(Amendment 13)

ARTICLE 1d (new)

Article 4(2), first subparagraph (Regulation 2333/92)

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Article 1d

In Article 4(2), first subparagraph of Regulation (EEC) No 2333/92 the words 'or vendor' are deleted.

(Amendment 16)

ARTICLE 1e (new)

Article 4(2), second subparagraph (Regulation 2333/92)

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Article 1e

In Article 4(2) second subparagraph of Regulation (EEC) No 2333/92 the words 'or vendor' are deleted.

(Amendment 8)

ARTICLE 1f (new)

Article 5(3), 1st subparagraph, indent -1 (new) (Regulation 2333/92)

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Article 1f

In Regulation (EEC) No 2333/92 the following indent is inserted as the first indent in the first subparagraph of Article 5(3):

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'- brut nature' or 'no dosage': if the sugar content is less than 3 grams per litre; these terms can only be used for sparkling wine without dosage sugar to which expedition liqueur is not added after disgorging but only the quantity of sparkling wine necessary to bring the level in the bottle back to what it was originally,'.

(Amendment 9)

ARTICLE 1g (new)

Article 6(6)(b) (Regulation 2333/92)

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Article 1g

In Regulation (EEC) No 2333/92 Article 6(6)(b) shall be replaced by the following:

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"(b) the term 'crémant' shall be reserved for a quality sparkling wine psr traditionally produced in specified regions of the Member States to which this term has been applied by the Member State in which the wine was made in combination with the name of the specified region, and which has been produced in accordance with the following minimum rules:

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- it must be produced from musts of traditional appropriate vine varieties and obtained by pressing whole grapes produced in the specified region not exceeding 100 litres of settled must for every 150 kg of grapes,

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- it must have a sulphur dioxide content of no more than 150 mg/l,

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- it must have a sugar content of less than 50 g/l.

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It must be produced in accordance with additional special rules governing their production and description by the Member State or the country in which they are made.

(Amendment 10)

ARTICLE 1h (new)

Article 10(1a) (new) (Regulation 2333/92)

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Article 1h

In Article 10 of Regulation (EEC) No 2333/92 the following paragraph 1a is inserted:

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"1a. Only products covered by Article 1(1) may be put up in bottles for sparkling wines or similar bottles fitted with closing devices as referred to in paragraph 1(a), stored for sale, placed on the market or exported.

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Notwithstanding subparagraph 1, this type of bottle with this stopper may be used for:

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(a) non-food products,

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(b) foodstuffs, other than beverages,

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(c) beverages, provided that:

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- they are produced by alcoholic fermentation of fruit or another agricultural raw material,

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- the Member States have permitted the use of the term 'wine' as a description, pursuant to Article 43(2) subparagraph 1, second indent, of Regulation (EEC) No 2392/89;

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- they are listed in Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91;

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- the use of this type of bottle with this stopper is traditional for the beverages listed in the first to fourth indents.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 2332/92 on sparkling wines produced in the Community (COM(95)0744 - C4-0112/96 -96/0008(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(95)0744 - 96/0008(CNS) ((OJ C 74, 14.3.1996, p. 16. )),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 43 of the EC Treaty (C4-0112/96),

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

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A4-0196/96),

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.