9. 7. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 182/17 
entering into force on the date on which the Parties notify each other of the com­
pletion of the procedures necessary for this purpose. It will remain in force until 
31 December 1987 unless terminated by one of the Parties by notice given at least 
six months in advance. 
I would be grateful if you would confirm the Agreement of the European 
Economic Community to the arrangements proposed above.' 
I have the honour to confirm that the European Economic Community is in agree­
ment with the contents of the above letter. 
I would draw your attention to the fact that this letter will be published in the Official 
Journal of the European Communities in the seven official languages of the Com­
munity, each of the texts being equally authentic. 
Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration. 
For the European Economic Community 
Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 358/79 on sparkling 
wines produced in the Community and defined in item 13 of Annex II to Regulation 
(EEC) No 337/79 
COM(84) 283 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 5 June 1984) 
(84/C 182/07) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euro­
pean Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 43 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commis­
sion, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Whereas experience suggests that some amendments 
should be made to Council Regulation (EEC) 
No 358/79 ('), as last amended by Regulation 
(EEC) No 3456/80 (2), in order to take account of 
technological progress and to ensure consistency 
between the various provisions on the common 
organization of the market in wine; 
Whereas, so as to provide better information for 
manufacturers of sparkling wines, for the trade and 
(') OJNoL54, 5.3. 1979, p. 130. 
(2) OJ No L 360, 31. 12. 1980, p. 18. for consumers, it is necessary to specify that the 
provisions governing the preparation of quality 
sparkling wines apply also to quality sparkling 
wines produced in specified regions; 
Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) No 337/79 (3), 
as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1595/ 
83 (4), authorizes, since its amendment by Regula­
tion (EEC) No 453/80 (5), the use of rectified con­
centrated grape must for increasing the natural 
alcoholic strength by volume of table wines and 
quality sparkling wines produced in specified 
regions; whereas it should therefore also be author­
ized as a constituent of tirage liqueur and expedi­
tion liqueur; 
Whereas, in view of the increase in minimum 
natural alcoholic strength in the various wine­
growing zones provided for in Regulation (EEC) 
(3) OJNoL54, 5. 3. 1979, p. 1. 
(4) OJNoL163, 22. 6. 1983, p. 48. 
(5) OJ No L 57, 29. 2. 1980, p. 1. 
NoC 182/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 9. 7. 84 
No ... O in order to ensure enhanced ripeness of 
grapes used in wine-making, the minimum natural 
alcoholic strength of the constituents of the cuvee 
intended to produce a sparkling wine should also be 
adjusted; 'The provisions of this Regulation, with the 
exception of Title II, shall also apply to the 
quality sparkling wines produced in specified 
regions covered by the provisions of Regulation 
(EEC) No 338/79.' 
Whereas, for reasons of order and clarity, Article 8 
of Regulation (EEC) No 358/79 should be deleted 
since its provisions are covered by the general rules 
on the description and presentation of sparkling 
wines and aerated sparkling wines laid down pur­
suant to Article 54 (1) of Regulation (EEC) 
No 337/79; 
Whereas it appears from a report which the Com­
mission submitted to the Council at its request (2) 
that lowering the total maximum levels of sulphur 
dioxide in sparkling wines is compatible with cur­
rent oenological knowledge and technological pro­
gress; whereas, with a view to restricting the use of 
all food additives to the minimum strictly necessary, 
the total maximum levels of sulphur dioxide should 
be reduced by 25 milligrams per litre for all 
sparkling wines; 
Whereas the use of modern preparation methods, 
the fragility of certain wines used in the composi­
tion of the cuvee and the quality of production jus­
tify shortening the minimum preparation period for 
quality sparkling wines from nine to six months 
where the fermentation process designed to make 
the wines sparkling takes place in closed tanks; In paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 4 the following 
indent is added after the words 'concentrated 
grape must': 
'— rectified concentrated grape must,'. 
3. Article 5 (1) (d) is replaced by the following: 
'(d) the following alcoholic strength limits are 
not exceeded: 
3,5 % vol for a cuvee composed of con­
stituents from wine-growing zone A, 
provided that the natural alcoholic 
strength of each constituent is at least 
6 % vol, with the exception of that part 
of the zone corresponding to the speci­
fied regions Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Ahr, 
Mittelrhein and Moselle luxembour-
geoise, for which the alcoholic strength 
shall be 5,5% vol; 
however, in years when weather condi­
tions are exceptionally unfavourable, 
the limit specified in the preceding sub­
paragraph may be raised to 4,5 % vol, 
provided that the natural alcoholic 
strength by volume of each constituent 
of the cuvee is at least 6 % vol or 5,5 % 
vol respectively, 
Whereas, in order to ensure that only traditional 
practices are used in the preparation of quality 
sparkling wines of the aromatic type, it is necessary 
to specify that such sparkling wines may be 
obtained only from grape musts or partially fer­
mented musts obtained from certain varieties whose 
fermentation has been arrested by refrigeration, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 2,5 % vol for a cuvee composed of con­
stituents from wine-growing zone B, 
provided that the natural alcoholic 
strength by volume of each constituent 
is at least 7 % vol; 
however, in years when weather condi­
tions are exceptionally unfavourable, 
the limit specified in the preceding sub­
paragraph may be raised to 3,5 % vol, 
provided that the natural alcoholic 
strength by volume of each constituent 
of the cuvee is at least 7 % vol, 
Article 1 
Regulation (EEC) No 358/79 is hereby amended as 
follows: 
1. The following paragraph is added to Article 2: 
(') COM(83) 639 final, 25. 11. 1983. (2) COM(81) 730 final, 30. 11. 1981. 2 % vol for a cuvee composed of consti­
tuents from wine-growing zone C I (a), 
C I (b), C II or C III, provided that the 
natural alcoholic strength by volume of 
each constituent is at least 8 % vol, 
8,5 % vol, 9 % vol or 9,5 % vol respec­
tively, 
The above limits shall in no way pre­
judice the application of the second 
subparagraph of Article 48 (3) (a) of 
9. 7. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 182/19 
Regulation (EEC) No 337/79 to cuvees 
intended for the preparation of sparkl­
ing wines and, up to 31 August 1987, to 
cuvees intended for the preparation of 
quality sparkling wines other than 
quality sparkling wines produced in 
specified regions;'. 
4. Article 5 (1) (0 is replaced by the following: 
'(f) enrichment by the method used, except 
where rectified concentrated grape must is 
employed, is practised in the Member State 
concerned, either traditionally or exception­
ally, in accordance with the rules existing 
on 24 November 1974.' 
5. Article 8 is deleted. 
6. Article 12 is amended as follows: 
(a) paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: 
'1. Without prejudice to any more restric­
tive provisions which Member States may 
apply to sparkling wines produced on their 
territory, the total sulphur dioxide of sparkl­
ing wines may not exceed 225 mg/1.' 
(b) paragraph 3 is deleted. 
(c) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following: 
'Detailed rules for the application of this 
Article shall be adopted in accordance with 
the procedure laid down in Article 67 of 
Regulation (EEC) No 337/79.' 
7. Article 15 (1) is replaced by the following: 
'1. In preparing the tirage liqueur intended for 
the preparation of quality sparkling wine, only 
the following may be used in addition to suc­
rose or rectified concentrated grape must: 
— grape must or partially fermented grape 
must from which a wine suitable for yield­
ing a table wine can be obtained, 
— wines suitable for yielding a table wine, 
— table wines, 
or 
— quality wines psr.' 
8. Article 16 is amended as follows: 
(a) paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: 
'1. The total sulphur dioxide content of 
quality sparkling wines may not exceed 
175 mg/1.' 
(b) paragraph 3 is deleted. 9. Article 17 is replaced by the following: 
'Article 17 
1. The duration of the process of making 
quality sparkling wines, including ageing in the 
undertaking where they are made and reckoned 
from the start of the fermentation process 
designed to make the wines sparkling, may not 
be: 
(a) less than six months where the fermentation 
process designed to make the wines sparkl­
ing takes place in closed tanks; 
(b) less than nine months where the fermenta­
tion process designed to make the wines 
sparkling takes place in the bottle. 
2. The duration of the fermentation process 
referred to in paragraph 1 (a) and the presence 
of the wine on the lees may not be less than 
75 days. However, if fermentation takes place in 
containers with stirrers, the minimum period 
shall be 30 days. 
3. Detailed rules for the application of this 
Article shall be adopted in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 67 of Regulation 
(EEC) No 337/79.' 
10. Article 18 (1) is replaced by the following: 
'1. Quality sparkling wines of the aromatic 
type may be produced only by using as the sole 
constituents of the cuvee grape musts or par­
tially fermented grape musts: 
— which were obtained from the vine varieties 
listed in the Annex, and 
— which have been prevented from fermenting 
by refrigeration. 
The addition of expedition liqueur shall be pro­
hibited. 
However, quality sparkling wine of the aromatic 
type may be produced by using as constituents 
of the cuvee wines obtained from grapes of the 
"Prosecco" vine variety harvested in the regions 
of Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli-
Venezia Giulia.' 
11. Article 22 is replaced by the following. 
'Article 22 
Sparkling wines within the meaning of item 13 
of Annex II to Regulation (EEC) No 337/79, 
which conformed to the provisions of this Regu­
lation in force at the time they were made and 
the conditions for whose preparation or certain 
of whose analytical properties no longer con­
form to the provisions of this Regulation as the 
result of an amendment thereto, may be kept for 
sale, put on the market and exported until 
stocks are exhausted.' 
No C 182/20 Official Journal of the European Communities 9. 7. 84 
Article 2 
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 Septem­
ber 1984. 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the Euro­
pean Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 43 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commis­
sion, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Whereas according to Article 2 (2) of Council Regu­
lation (EEC) No 358/79(0, as last amended by 
Regulation (EEC) No , the provisions of that 
Regulation, with the exception of Title II, apply 
also, from 1 September 1984, to quality sparkling 
wines produced in specified regions covered by the 
provisions of Council Regulation (EEC) No 338/ 
79 (2), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) 
No 2145/82 (3); whereas paragraphs 3, 4, 6 and 7 of 
Article 12 of the latter Regulation should therefore 
be deleted with effect from 1 September 1984; 
Whereas it is also necessary to extend by one year 
the derogation provided for in Article 12 (5) of 
Regulation (EEC) No 338/79 authorizing a shorter 
preparation process for certain quality sparkling 
wines produced in specified regions in Italy so as to 
(') OJNoL54, 5. 3. 1979, p. 130. 
(2) OJ No L 54, 5. 3. 1979, p. 48. 
(3) OJ No L 227, 3. 8. 1982, p. 10. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and 
directly applicable in all Member States. 
prevent a break in continuity in the rules applicable 
to quality sparkling wines. 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
Article 12 of Regulation (EEC) No 338/79 is hereby 
amended as follows: 
1. Paragraphs 3, 4, 6 and 7 are deleted with effect 
from 1 September 1984. 
2. Paragraph 5 is replaced by the following: 
'5. For quality sparkling wines psr produced in 
Italy, whose preparation began between 1 Sep­
tember 1983 and 31 August 1984, the duration 
of the preparation process may be less than nine 
months but not less than six months, provided 
that the quality sparkling wines psr in question 
were defined by national rules adopted before 
1 September 1981'. 
Article 2 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third 
day following its publication in the Official Journal 
of the European Communities. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and 
directly applicable in all Member States. Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EEC) No 338/79 laying down 
special provisions relating to quality wines produced in specified regions 
COM(84) 283. final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 5 June 1984) 
(84/C 182/08)