ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES 
DE LA COMMISSION 
 
 
 
COLLECTION RELIEE DES 
DOCUMENTS "COM" 
 
 
 
 
COM (83) 749 
 
 
 
Vol. 1983/0 265 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the openi ng to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Community and the European Atomic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this f ile is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation.  
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 198 3 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen  
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983,  
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003  
(ABI. L 243 vom 27 .9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit  
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5  
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben.  
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C0M(83) 749 f i n a l
B ru s s e ls , 15 December 1983
Proposal fo r  a  
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC)
e x te n d in g  th e  p e rio d  o Ç a p p li c a tio n  o f C ouncil R eg u latio n  (EEC) No 3310/75  
on a g r ic u ltu r e  in  th e Grand Duchy o f Luxembourg
(su b m itted  to  th e  C ouncil by th e  Commission)
C0MC83) 749 f i n a l

C.'&H
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1. Council Regulation (EEC) No 541/70 of 20 March 1970 (1) states that the  
provisions of the second subparagraph of Article 1(1) of the Protocol on  
the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg shall remain applicable until 31 December  
1973 at the latest. This provision refers to Article 6(3) of the  
Convention on the Economic Union of Belgium and Luxembourg of 25 July 1981  
stating that "no excise duty may be imposed on non-sparkling domestically  
produced natural wines made from fresh grapes."
In the Protocol this exemption was extended to the entire territory of the  
Benelux and the Council was before the end of the transitional period to  
decide by qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission whether the  
derogations granted to the Grand Duchy were to be maintained,  altered or  
abolished.
2. Since 1973 the Council has decided each year to extend the period of  
validity of the provision of the Protocol by one year with the proviso  
that should excise duties on wine be increased in the Benelux countries  
the advantage granted to Luxembourg wines under the Protocol should not be  
increased. This proviso was written into Council Regulation (EEC)
No 3310/75 (2), the validity of which was last prolonged, until  
31 December 1983, by Council Regulation (EEC) No 3533/82 of 17 December
1982 (3).
3. By a letter dated 29 September 1983 (No SG(83)A/8209) the Permanent  
Representation of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg requested the Commission  
on behalf of its Government to propose that the Council extend the period  
of validity of the Regulation by another year.
The Luxembourg Government considers that pending the harmonization of  
specific duties on wine in the Community the reasons which in 1970  
justified the proposals to prolong the status quo and the Council  
Regulation of 20 March of that same year remain fully valid.
The attached Regulation extends the validity of the Regulation until  
31 December 1984.
(1) 0J No L 68, 2 5. 3.1970, p. 3.
(2) 0J No L 328, 20.12.1975, p. 12.
(3) 0J No L 371, 30.12.1982, p. 3.

-  2 -
4. This arrangement has not had any appreciable effect on imports of wine  
from the other Member States into the Benelux countries. As will be seen  
from Table I the import trend from 1973/74 to 1981/82 is similar to that  
in other Member States such as Germany.
5. It must also be borne in mind that the excise duty exemption from which  
Luxembourg wine benefits also helps the incomes of winegrowers in  
Luxembourg. As will be seen from Table II the amount of the revenue  
shortfall represents 8 to 11% of the value of final viticultural  
production. The gross added value at market price, which is closer to  
the producer's income represents approximately 60% of final agricultural  
production in Luxembourg and it may therefore be reckoned that the measure  
in question represented still more than 10% of viticultural income in 1981  
and that its elimination could cause a marked drop in the quantities of  
Luxembourg wine sold in the Benelux countries.

TABLE I
Tr«nd of intra-Community trade in wine: Member States' imports (1)
(1973/74 - 1981/82 marketing years)
BTN heading 22.05: Wine of fresh grapes
(hectolitres)
Importing 
Member State:  1973/74 1974/75 1975/76 :  1976/77 1977/78 1978/79 1979/80 1980/81 1981/82
France :  3.046 5807.129584:  7.211.  785:  5.360261:  6.300.604:  8.273.289:  5.437.804:  7.933.710 6.443.481
BLEU :  1.185 *091.222078:  1.245.166:  1.343886:  1.275.676:  1.469.288:  1.537.081:  1.544.633 1.571.389
Netherlands :  7H  7 783 824798 955.891 956259:  1.039.363:  1.086790:  1.152.864:  1.241.922 1.333.327
FR Germany :  5.190.5565.488912:  6.581.  778:  6.392290:  6.068.472:  5.  7540436.437779:  7.567.509 7.876.482
Italy :  375.317 147119 141.003 156628 153.353 130566 123.996 98.858 80.166
United Kingdom :  1.241.1221.101456:  1.185.998:  1.463761:  1.  550.653:  1.997016:  2.023720:  2.385.661 2669.472
Ireland 36.427 30280 43.676 57454 71.346 81344 76744 •84.489 81.483
Denmark :  145.697 202446 328.896 344028 382.753 448141 466643••545.568 655.654
Greece :  11.140 886 1.  560 2070 2.937 2919 2212•• 718 2.782
EUR 10 :11.9S0.23116.147559:  17.695.  753:  16.076637:  16.845.157:  19.243.396:  17.258843:  21403.068 20.714.236
Sources :  EUROSTAT
Iniormation notified by the Member States 
(1) Member States' import statistics.

TABLE II
Estimate of relationship between arrival revenue shortfall and value of final  
viticulturai production (1) (?)
1976 10,3?
1977 10,5?
1978 8,9?
1979 9,3?
1980 7,5?
1981 8,3?
(1) Based on information provided by the Luxembourg Ministry of Agriculture on  
the quantities of Luxembourg wine consumed in the Member States.

P R O P O SA L  F O R  A
'  COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC)
extending the period of application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3310/75 on  
agriculture in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, .
Having regard to the Protocol on the Grand Duchy of 
Luxembourg annexed thereto,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 
3310/75 of 16 December 1975 on agriculture in the 
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg ('), as last amended by 
Regulation (EEC) No 3 5 3 3 /é  (:), and in particular 
Article 2 (2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas, under the second subparagraph of Article 1  
(l) of the Protocol on the Grand Duchy of Luxem­
bourg, Belgium and the Netherlands are to apply the 
system provided for in the third paragraph of Article 6 
of the Convention on the Economic Union of 
Belgium and Luxembourg of 25 July 1921 ; whereas 
the period of application of this system was last 
extended by Regulation (EEC) N o3533/8 2 ; whereas 
the Council has to decide to what extent these provi­
sions should be retained, amended or discontinued ;Whereas the application of the said system in favour 
of Luxembourg wines will continue to be of benefit to 
the agricultural income of the Grand Duchy of 
Luxembourg in the sector concerned ;
Whereas having regard to the other reasons set out in 
Regulation (EEC) No 3310/75, the period of applica­
tion of the latter Regulation should be extended,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :
Article 1
In the first paragraph of Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) 
No 3310/75, ‘31 December 198^’  shall be replaced by 
‘31 December 1984’.
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1  January 
198+.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member 
States.
Done at Brussels,
For the Council  
The President
(') 01 No L 328, 20. 12. 1975, p. 12.
O OJ No L 3 7 1 , 3 0 .1 2 .1 9 8 2 , p . 3