Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 1784/77 concerning the certification of hops
Date: 1993-04-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Germany, certificate of origin, food processing, hops

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

COM(93)  150 final 

Brussels, 7 April  1993 

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Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL  REGULATION  (EEC) 

amending Regulation  (EEC) No  1784/77 
concerning the certification of  hops 

(presented  by  the  Commission) 

-  A  -

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

It is proposed that the Council adopt this draft Regulation amending Regulation 

(EEC) No 1784/77 concerning the certification of hops. 

Given that isomerized hop powders and a whole range of new isomerized products 

have lost, as in the case of isomerized hop extracts, most of the inherit 

characteristics of the varieties from which they are produced, making 

identification of their origin impossible, even using very sophisticated 

laboratory equipment, it is proposed that those products be included in the list 

of exceptions set out in Regulation  (EEC) No 1784/77. 

Given that in the former German Democratic Republic, for technical reasons, 

certification of hops has traditionally taken place after processing into 

granules, which is not in accordance with Community legislation, and that a 

longer period of time is required for new investments than originally allowed 

for, it is proposed that the date of application of the transitional measures in 

the hops sector following the unification of Germany be postponed until 

31 December 1995. 

This draft Regulation involves no direct expenditure from the Community budget. 

This draft Regulation has no impact on SMEs. 

- ^a -

COUNCIL REGULATION  (EEC) No  ..../.. 

Of 

amending Regulation  (EEC) No  1784/77 
concerning  the certification of hops 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing  the European Economic  Community, 

Having regard to Council Regulation  (EEC) No  1696/71 of 26 July  1971 on the 

common organization of the market in hops(l), as last amended by Regulation 

(EEC) No  3124/92<2), and in particular Article 2(4) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal  from the Commission^) f 

Whereas Regulation  (EEC) No  1784/77(4), as last amended by Regulation  (EEC) 

No  1605/91(5), specifies the stage at which certification must be carried out 

and lays down the circumstances  under which hop products may  undergo  further 

processing; 

Whereas  isomerized  hop powders and a whole range of new isomerized  products, used 

just before or just after the fermentation  stage and which, from the point of 

view of their chemical composition, fall in between  isomerized hop powders and 

isomerized hop extracts, have gained à certain importance on the market; whereas 

their position with regard to certification is unclear, making their marketing 

difficult; whereas these products, as in the case of isomerized  hop extracts, 

have lost most of the inherent characteristics of the varieties  from which they 

are produced, making  identification of their origin  impossible, even using very 

sophisticated laboratory equipment; whereas those products should be included in 

the list of exceptions  set out in Regulation  (EEC) No 1784/77; 

(1) OJ No L  175, 4.8.1971, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No L 313, 30.10.1992, p. 1. 
( 3 ) O J  No  L  . . . , 
,  p. 
(4) OJ NO L 200, 8.8.1977, p. 1. 
(5) OJ No L  149, 14.6.1991, p. 14. 

- 2 

Whereas, in the former German Democratic Republic, the treatment of hops after 

harvest  is traditionally  different  from in the other Member States  in the  sense 

that, on numerous  farms producing  hops, cleaning  and initial drying of cones is 

carried out at the same time as milling  and pressing  into granules, existing 

equipment not permitting  separation of the two stages; whereas this procedure 

does not conform with Community  legislation which  lays down that certification 

must take place before any processing; whereas to enable producers to spread 

their new investment over a suitable period, a transitional  period  longer than 

that provided  for by Commission Regulation  (EEC) No 2239/91 on  transitional 

measures applicable  in the hop sector after the unification of Germany(6), which 

expired on 31 December  1992, should be laid down, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Article 1 

Regulation  (EEC) No  1784/77 is hereby  amended as follows: 

1. In Article  1: 

a)  Article  1(1)is replaced by the  following: 

"This Regulation  shall apply to products referred  to in Article  1 of 

Regulation  (EEC) No  1696/71 when harvested  in the Community  or when 

prepared  from such products which have either been harvested  in the 

Community  or imported  from third countries in accordance with Article 5 

of the said Regulation, with the exception of: 

(a)  hops harvested on land owned by a brewery  and used by that brewery 

in the natural or processed state; 

(b)  isomerized  hop extract; 

(c)  isomerized  hop powder; 

(d)  a list of  isomerized  products to be drawn  up in accordance with the 

procedure referred to in Article  19 of Regulation  (EEC) No 1696/71; 

(e)  products derived  from hops and processed  under contract on behalf of 

a brewery provided that those products  are used by the brewery 

itself; 

(f)  hops and products derived  from hops put in small packets  for sale to 

private  individuals  for their own use. 

(6) OJ No L 204, 27.7.1991, p. 14 

-  3 -

The«products referred to* in subparagraphs  (a) to  (f) shall be subject to 

a control procedure to be determined." 

(b)  The following  is added to paragraph 3: 

"Without prejudice to the time limits set out above, for hops grown in 

the territory  of the  former German Democratic  Republic, prepared  and 

processed on the farms producing hops referred to in the Annex hereto and 

until 31 December  1995, certification may be carried out after processing 

of the hops into granules but before any other processing, provided that 

compliance with the minimum marketing  requirements  referred  to in the 

Annex to commission Regulation  (EEC) No  890/78 can be  guaranteed. 

Certification of hop granules processed on the abovementioned  farms shall 

be carried out in the certification centres  in the territory  of the 

former German Democratic  Republic." 

2. The Annex to this Regulation  is added as an annex to Council Regulation  (EEC) 

No 1784/77. 

Article 2 

This Regulation  shall enter into force on the seventh day  following  its 

publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.  However, 

Article  1(1)(b) shall apply from  1 January  1993. 

This Regulation  shall be binding  in its entirety  and directly  applicable  in all 

Member States. 

Done at Luxembourg, 

For the council 

The  President 

_' 4 -

A N N EX 

Farms on which certification may be carried out after processing  into granules 

LAND OF SAXONY 

Borthen 

Stockhausen 

Kohren-Sablis 

LAND OF  SAXONY-ANHALT 

Rottmersleben 

LAND OF THURINGIA 

Irrleben 

Osterweddingen 

Langenweddingen 

oschersleben 

Harsleben 

Groflfahner 

Bad Tennstedt 

Grëfentonna 

Heringen 

Nordshausen 

Stauflfurt 

Kindelbrlick 

GroBbrembach 

Westerengel 

Grofienehrich 

Hohenebra 

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