Commission Regulation (EC) No 2693/98 of 14 December 1998 authorising the conclusion of long-term private storage contracts for table wine, grape must, concentrated grape must and rectified concentrated grape must in respect of the 1998/99 wine year
Date: 1998-12-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: contract, fruit product, marketing year, private stock, product quality, table wine

L 338/8

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Official Journal of the European Communities

15. 12. 98

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2693/98

of 14 December 1998

authorising the conclusion of long-term private storage contracts for table wine,
grape must, concentrated grape must and rectified concentrated grape must in
respect of the 1998/99 wine year

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Article 1

Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 of
the
16 March 1987 on the common organisation of
market in wine (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No
1627/98 (2), and in particular Articles 32(5) and 83 thereof,

Whereas the forward estimate drawn up for the 1998/99
wine year indicates that the quantities of table wine avail-
able at the beginning of the wine year exceed by more
than four months’ supply those normally used up over the
year; whereas the conditions for authorisation of long-
term storage contracts specified in Article 32(4) of Regula-
tion (EEC) No 822/87 are therefore met;

Whereas the abovementioned forward estimate indicates
the existence of surpluses of all types of table wine and of
table wines which stand in close economic relationship to
those types of table wine; whereas it is necessary by the
same token to open this possibility for grape must,
concentrated grape must and rectified concentrated grape
must;

Whereas the market for must and concentrated must for
grape juice production is expanding and to promote uses
of vine products other
than winemaking permission
should be granted for must and concentrated grape must
placed under a storage contract covered by Commission
Regulation (EEC) No 1059/83 (3), as last amended by
Regulation (EC) No 1262/96 (4), that is intended for grape
juice production to be sold from the fifth month of the
contract onwards on simple notification by the producer
to the intervention agency; whereas to promote export of
these products this same possibility should apply;

Whereas the measures provided for in this Regulation are
in accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Wine,

(1) OJ L 84, 27. 3. 1987, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 210, 28. 7. 1998, p. 8.
(3) OJ L 116, 30. 4. 1983, p. 77.
(4) OJ L 163, 2. 7. 1996, p. 18.

long-term private

During the period 16 December 1998 to 15 February
1999,
contracts may be
concluded, in accordance with the provisions of Regula-
tion (EEC) No 1059/83, for:

storage

— table wines, provided that the conditions of Article

6(3) of that Regulation are met, and

— grape must, concentrated grape must and rectified

concentrated grape must.

Article 2

The minimum quality conditions that must be met by
table wines which may be covered by a storage contract
shall be as set out in the Annex hereto.

By derogation to Article 6(3) of Regulation (EEC) No
1059/83, table wines produced in Portugal must have a
reduced sugar level not greater than 4 grams per litre.

Article 3

Producers who, within the limits laid down in the first
subparagraph of Article 5(1) of Regulation (EEC) No
1059/83, wish to conclude a long-term storage contract
for a table wine shall, when submitting applications for
conclusion of a contract, advise the intervention agency of
the total quantity of
table wine they have produced
during the current wine year.

For this purpose producers shall submit a copy of the
production declaration(s) drawn up pursuant to Article 3
of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1294/96 (5).

Article 4

1.
For the 1998/99 wine year, producers who have not
applied for an advance pursuant to Article 14(2) of Regu-
lation (EEC) No 1059/83 may, from the first day of the
fifth month of storage onwards, sell the grape must or
concentrated grape must in question for exportation or
for production of grape juice.

(5) OJ L 166, 5. 7. 1996, p. 14.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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In such cases producers shall inform the intervention agency in accordance with the

2.
terms of Article 1a of Regulation (EEC) No 1059/83.

The intervention agency shall check that the must or concentrated grape must is turned
into grape juice or exported.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal
of the European Communities.

Article 5

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

Done at Brussels, 14 December 1998.

For the Commission
Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

ANNEX

MINIMUM QUALITY CONDITIONS FOR TABLE WINES

I. White wines

(a) minimum actual alcoholic strength:

10,5 % vol;

(b) maximum volatile acidity:

9 milli-equivalents per litre;

(c) maximum sulphur dioxide content:

155 milligrams per litre.

II. Red wines

(a) minimum actual alcoholic strength:

10,5 % vol;

(b) maximum volatile acidity:

11 milli-equivalents per litre;

(c) maximum sulphur dioxide content:

115 milligrams per litre.

Rosé wines must comply with the conditions laid down above for red wines except as regards their
sulphur dioxide content to which the same maximums as those fixed for white wines apply.

Conditions (a) and (c) do not apply to table wines of types R III, A II and A III.