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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(80)437
Vol.1980/0154

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(80)437 final
Brussels ,16th July 1980
joJ
tiuSecretariat /;y
General
Χ^τΓ
PROPOSAL FOR ACOUNCIL REGULATION (EEC )
AMENDING ,FORTHESECOND TIME ,REGULATION (EEC )No355/79
LAYING DOWN GENERAL RULES FOR THE DESCRIPTION AND
PRESENTATION OFWINES AND GRAPE MUSTS *
,(presented bytheCommission totheCouncil )
COM <80)437 final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Regulation (EEC)No355/79laid down general rules forthe
description andpresentation ofwines andgrape musts .Experience with
this Regulation inpractice andtheaccession ofGreece suggest that some
modifications should "bemade inre^spect of(a)thedesignation ofwines
made bycoupage oftable wines from different Member States ,(b)the
designation ofGreek table wines towhich resin hasbeen added and (c)
theoption ofadding thename ofalarger -geographical area than the
specified region tothedesignation ofless well-known quality wines
p.s.r .Furthermore ,some ,terminological changes intheprovisions
covering prohibited indications likely tomislead theconsumer are
proposed *
There arealso proposals inrespect oftheuse ofcontainers ofa
capacity offrom 5nilto101,supplementing therules inCouncil
Directive 75/106/EEContheapproximation ofthelaws oftheMember
States relating tothemaking-up byvolume ofcertain prepacked
liquids .Theobject ofthese supplementary provisions iscomplete
standardization ofthenominal volumes ofbottles employed forwines
throughout theCommunity .
Theadoption ofthis Regulation involves noexpenditure against the
Community budget .

PROPOSALFORA
COUNCILREGULATION(EEC)No *
of
amending,forthesecondtime,Regulation(EEC)No355/79
■layingdowngeneralrulesforthedescriptionandpresentation
ofwinesandgrapemusts
THECOUNCILOPTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES,-.. ■
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
HavingregardtoCouncilRegulation(EEC)No337/79of5February1979
onthecommonorganizationofthemarketinwine\aslastamended
byRegulation(EEC)No,andinparticularArticle54(l)thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission,
- .^WhereasRegulation(EEC)No355/79,asamended "byRegulation(EEC)
No46l/80laiddowngeneralrulesforthedescriptionandpresentation
ofwinesandgrapemusts; '
Whereastherulesinforceforthedescription oftablewineshavenot
sofarexpresslycoveredtablewinesobtainedbythecoupage,with
anotherproduct,ofatablewinewhichwasnotmadeintheMemberState
wherethegrapeswereharvested;whereas,intheinterestsofclarity,
thedescriptionoftablewinessoobtainedshouldbelaiddown;
X0JNoL54,5.3.1979,P.l
2 .
30JNoL54,5.3.1979,P-99
40JNoL57,29.2.1980,p.36

2
Whereasthedefinitionoftablewinegivenxnpoint11ofAnnexIIto
Regulation(EEC)No337/79has"beenexpandedtoincludeadefinitionof
"retsina"tablewine;.whereasrulesfortheuseoftheterm"retsina"
shouldbelaiddownin-thepresentRegulation ;
Whereastheobligationtorepeat,sometimesonanadditionallabel,
theexpression "WinefromdifferentcountriesoftheEuropeanCommunity"
inanofficiallanguageoftheMemberStateinwhichthewineinquestion
isofferedtotheconsumerhascausedsomepracticaldifficulties ;
whereas,inordertoovercomethesedifficulties ,whichcouldincrease
thecostofdistributing theproductsinquestion,theMemberStateto
whichthesaidproductsareconsignedshouldhavediscretiontodecide
whethertheexpressionreferredtoaboveshouldberepeatedinanofficial
languageofthatMemberState;
Whereas,inordertoensureconsistentapplication oftheprovisions
prohibitingcertainindications whichmightmisleadtheconsumer,
particularly thoseconcerningthegeographical origin,thevinevariety,
thevintage,anexpressionimplyingasuperiorqualityorthecomposition
oftheproduct,andinordertomakethesaidprovisionssimplerto
interpret,theyshouldbeadaptedsothattheirscopeinalltheofficial
languagesoftheCommunityisthesame;
1
Whereastheregionsspecifiedforproduotionofqualityvanesareinsome
casesquitesmallandtheconsumer,particularly outsidetheproducer
MemberState,haslittleideaoftheirwhereabouts ;whereas,witha
viewtogivingtheconsumermoreinformation ,itshouldbepermitted
toamplifythestatementofthespecifiedregionfromwhichthequality
winep.s.r.inquestioncomesbyaddingthenameofalargergeographical
unitofwhichthesaidspecifiedregionisapart;

3
Whereas thenominal volume ofthe containers ofanominal volume of
notless than 5 and .notexceeding 101inwhich wines andgrape
_musts may "beputupiscovered "byCouncil Directive 75/IO6/EEConthe
approximation ofthelaws oftheMember States relating tothemaking-up
j* . .1_• ^ ^^ ^5
tjyvolume ofcertain prepackaged liquids ,asamended layDirective
79/1005/EEC whereas thesaid Directive does notprevent theMember
States from allowing theusepfcontainers ofavolume which complies
with Annex IIItothe said Directive butdoes notcomply with the
regulations orcommercial practice oftheMember State from which the
product originates ,whereas ,inorder toencourage trade amongst
theMember States byimposing full standardization throughout the
Community ,toeliminate clear distortions ofcompetition ifthe same wine
were tobeoffered inbottles ofavery similar nominal volume ,toavoid
costly sorting before therecycling ofempty bottles andtofacilitate
export ,appropriate provisions forthis purpose should beadopted ;.
Whereas theapplication ofMember States' legislation governing ,in
order tomeet environmental requirements ,theuseofcontainers with a
view totheir recycling maymake itnecessary toderogate from the
Community provisions onthenominal volume ofcontainers forwines and
grape musts }whereas provision should bemade fortheCommission toauthorize
7application ofthesaid national provisions bywayofderogation .from the
Community provisions onthenominal volume ofcontainers whose use ispres­
cribed forwine andgrape musts , - '
5OJNoL42,15.2.1975 ,P.l»
6OJNoL308.4.12.1979 ,P.25

4
HASADOPTEDTHISREGULATION 2
Article1
Article2(l)(d)ofRegulation (EEC)Ho355/79herebyreplaced ,bythe
followingtext;
"(d)inthecaseof:
(i)consignmenttoanotherMemberSbakoorexport;the'Member
Stateinwhoseterrirorythegrapeswereharvestedandturned
intowins,providedthatboththeseoperations Lookplace
inthesameMemberStats;
(ii)tablewinewhichwasmadeinaMemberStateotherthanthatin
whichthegrapeswereharvested;theinitials"EEC";
(iii)tablewineresultingfromcourage
–ofproductsoriginatinginsnorethanoneMemberState,
–ofatablewinereferredtoin(ii)abovewithanothertable
wineoranotherproductwithwhichcoupagt.ispenoittedfor
theproductionefatablevane;
thewords"winefromdifferentcountriescftheEuropean
Community' -1.
%
Article2.
1.ThefollowingtextshallbeaddedtoArticle2(1;ofRegulation
(EEC)No355/79:
"(e)inthecaseofthetablewinesreferredtcinthethird
indentofpoint11ofAnnexIItoRegulation (EEC)Ec337/79"
theword3,Rettsina"

5
2.Thefollowingtextshall"beaddedto(b)inthesecondsubparagraph
ofArticle3(6)ofRegulation(EEC)No355/79»afterthethird
indent:
*•-theWord"Retsina",referredtoinArticle2(l)(e)".
»
Article3
Paragraph(c)inthesecondsubparagraphofArticle3(6)ofRegulation
(EEC)No355/79isamendedtoreadasfollows:
"(c)theMemberStatesmayprescribe,fortablewinesmarketedontheir
territory,thatindicationofthetermsreferringtocoupageofthe
IproductsreferredtoinArticle2(l)(d)(iii)shallberepeated,
onasupplementary labelifnecessary,inanofficiallanguageof
.theMemberStateinwhichthewineinquestionisofferedtothe
consumer,ifthisindicationappearsonthelabelinanother
officiallanguageoftheCommunity".
Article4
1.Article8(c)of-Regulation(EEC)No355/79isherebyamended,except
fortheEnglishtext,whichneedsnochange.
*
2.Article18(c)ofRegulation(EEC)No355/79isherebyamended,
exceptfortheEnglishtext,whichneedsnochange.

6
3.Article34(c)ofRegulation (EEC)No355/79isherebyamended,except
fortheEnglishtext,whichneedsnochange.
Article5
ThefollowingtextisherebyaddedtothesecondindentofArticle13(l)
ofRegulation(EEC)No355/79:
"-TheMemberStatesmayallowthestatementofthespecifiedregion
referredtoinArticle12(l)(a)tobeaccompaniedbyastatementof
thenameofalargergeographical unitofwhichthespecifiedregion
inquestionisapart,inordertoindicateitswhereabouts ,provided
however,thattheconditionsgoverninguseofthenameofthesaid
specifiedregionandofthenameofthesaidgeographical unitare
compliedwith."
Article6
fc
ThefollowingArticleshallbeaddedtoRegulation (EEC)No355/79:
"Article39a
1.Thenominalvolumesofproductsputupincontaihersoffrom5
to101:
(a)shallbethosegivenincolumnI,pointl(a)and(b)of
AnnexIIItoDirective75/l06/EEC,
(b)mayalso,upto31December19$5»heof0.73litre,andupto
31DecemberI988,betheothercolumeslistedincolumnII,
pointl(a)ofAnnexIIItothesaidDirectivefortheMember
Statesinwhichtheywerepermittedasat31December1973.

7
TheMemberStatesmaynot,forreasonsconcerningthenominalvolumes,
providedthatthesearelistedinAnnexIIItoDirective75/106/EEC,or
concerningthedetermination ofsuchvolumesorthemethodsbywhichthey
y
havebeenchecked,refuse,prohibitorrestricttheplacingonthemarket
ofproductsputupincontainerswhosenominalvolumescomplywiththe
provisionsoftheabovesubparagraph ;
2.However,bywayofderogationfromparagrph1,aMemberStatemay,
foritsinternaltrade,exporttradeandintrar-Communitytrade,
whethermarketpreparationisdonewithinthegeographicalterritory
ofthatMemberState,inanotherMemberStateorinanon-member ,
country,authorizetheuseofcontainerswithnominalvolumesother
thanthosereferredtoinparagraph1upto31December1983.
3.Themaximumullagetoleranceforthecontainersreferredtoin
paragraph1shallbethatfixedinDirective75/l06/EEC.
' * . ' '
4.IfaMemberStatewishestopermittheuseofcontainersofaV
nominalvolumewhichisnotlistedinColumnIofAnnexIIIto
Directive75/l06/EECafter31December19^3byvirtueofits
legislationgoverning,inordertomeetenvironmental requirements ,
theuseofcontainerswithaviewtotheirrecycling,itshall.
notifytheCommissionaccordingly.The-Cbmmissionshalldecide,
1notlaterthansixmonthsaftersuch.notification ,whatderogations
maybemadetothisRegulationandshallmakethemsubjecttoany
appropriateconditions".

8
Article7
Article43(l)ofRegulation(EEC)No355/79isamendedtoreadas
follows:
"Article43
1.Thedescription andpresentation oftheproductsreferredtom
Article1(3)mustnot"besuchastomisleadwithregardtothe
nature,originandcompositionoftheproduct;thisshallapply-
totheinformationreferredtoinArticles2,12,27,28and29".
Article8
ThisRegulationshallenterintoforceonthethirddayfollowingthat
ofitspublication intheOfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities .
Articles1,3,4,5a*1*!7shallapplywitheffectfrom1SeptemberI98O.
t
Articles2and6shallapplywitheffectfrom1JanuaryI98I.
ThisRegulationshall "bebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicable
inallMemberStates.
DoneatBrussels, fortheCouncil