Commission Regulation (EC) No 1666/1999 of 28 July 1999 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 as regards the minimum marketing characteristics for certain varieties of dried grapes
Date: 1999-07-28
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: dried product, grape, marketing, product quality

L 197/32

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

29. 7. 1999

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1666/1999

of 28 July 1999

laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 as regards the
minimum marketing characteristics for certain varieties of dried grapes

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5) Whereas

the Management Committee for Products
Processed from Fruit and Vegetables has not delivered an
opinion within the time limit set by its Chairman,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/96 of 28
October 1996 on the common organisation of the markets in
processed fruit and vegetable products (1), as amended by Regu-
lation (EC) No 2199/97 (2), and in particular Article 8 thereof,

(1) Whereas Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 2201/96
provides that common standards may be introduced for
the dried grape varieties listed in Article 7(1) of that
Regulation intended either
for consumption in the
Community or for export to third countries; whereas, in
view of commercial practices in world trade as regards
such measures
the classification of
should be limited to setting minimum characteristics and
permitted tolerances
intended for
consumption in the Community or for export; whereas,
for the sake of simplification, the minimum characteris-
tics and permitted tolerances adopted should be those
laid down in the UN/ECE standard recommended by the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Working Party on Standardisation of Perishable Produce
and Quality Development;

for dried grapes

those products,

(2) Whereas, to ensure uniform application of this quality
requirement for dried grapes marketed without placing
an excessive burden on the inspection authorities, the
precise stage for checking products obtained in the
Community and products imported from third countries
for compliance with the minimum quality requirements
should be laid down, whilst at the same time allowing
the Member States the possibility of carrying out checks
at other stages of marketing;

(3) Whereas, for products imported from third countries, to
facilitate control procedures, checks on compliance with
minimum characteristics should be restricted to dried
grapes imported from third countries in large packings,
given that the risk of imports of products not meeting
the requirements will, in practice, only arise in the case
of such products;

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Dried grapes of the sultana and Muscatel varieties and currants
falling within CN code 0806 20 intended for consumption in
the Community or for export to third countries must comply
with the minimum characteristics and tolerances set out in the
annex.

This requirement shall apply at the stage of release for free
circulation in the case of products originating in third countries
and at the stage of exit from processing installations in the case
of Community products.

Article 2

Dried grapes obtained in the Community and intended for the
internal market or for export shall be checked for compliance
with the minimum characteristics and tolerances referred to in
Article 1 on the processing premises before being loaded for
dispatch.

Dried grapes imported in immediate packings of a net capacity
of more than 2 kg shall be sample-checked for compliance
with this requirement before being released for free circulation
on the Community market. Member States may check such
products at all stages of marketing.

The Member States may decide to accept as proof of compli-
ance with this Regulation the certificate of compliance with the
minimum characteristics and tolerances for Class II of the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE)
standard issued by third countries of origin of dried grapes.

Article 3

The Member States shall determine how checks are to be
carried out.

(4) Whereas, to take account of differences between the
national control systems, it should be left to the Member
States to lay down detailed rules for carrying out checks;

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

(1) OJ L 297, 21.11.1996, p. 29.
(2) OJ L 303, 6.11.1997, p. 1.

It shall apply from the 1 September 2000.

Article 4

29. 7. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 197/33

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

Done at Brussels, 28 July 1999.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

L 197/34

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

29. 7. 1999

ANNEX

MINIMUM CHARACTERISTICS OF DRIED GRAPES

1. Definition

The dried grapes must be of the sultana or muscatel varieties or currants grown from Vitis vinifera L.

2. Minimum requirements

2.1. The dried grapes must be:

— whole,

— sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded,

— free from living insects or mites whatever their stage of development,

— free from abnormal external moisture,

— free of foreign smell and taste (a slight smell of S02

abnormal),

and a slight smell and taste of oil are not considered

— and subject to the tolerances,

— clean, practically free from any visible foreign matter,

— free from visible damage by insects, mites or other parasites,

— free from mould,

— free from immature and/or undeveloped berries,

— free from pieces of stem,

— free from pedicels, except for muscatel,

— free from damaged berries (in seeded forms, normal mechanical

injury resulting from normal seeding

operations is not considered ‘damage')

— free from evident sugar crystals,

— free from extraneous vegetable matter.

2.2. The dried grapes must also:

— possess similar varietal characteristics,

— have a fairly good characteristic flavour, texture and colour,

— be prepared from fairly well matured grapes,

— be screened or sized,

— they may have defects within the tolerance limits indicated under the provisions concerning tolerances
provided that the dried grapes retain their essential characteristics as regards general appearance, quality,
keeping quality and presentation.

2.3. The condition of the dried grapes must be such as to enable them

— to withstand transport and handling, and

— to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.

3. Moisture content

The dried grapes must have a moisture content of not less than 13 % and not more than 31 % for the Malaga/
muscatel type, 23 % for seed-bearing varieties and 18 % for seedless varieties and currants.

4. Tolerances

The tolerances in respect of quality allowed in each package for produce not satisfying the requirements for the class
indicated are as follows:

29. 7. 1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 197/35

SEEDLESS

Permitted defects

Tolerances for defective fruit

Percentage by weight

By number

Pieces of stem (per kg)

Pedicels (%)

Immature and/or undeveloped berries

Berries having seeds in seedless types (%)

Mouldy

Insect damaged

Damaged

Sugared

Extraneous vegetable material

Mineral

impurities

—

—

4,00

4,00

1,00

5,00

15,00

0,03

0,01

2,00

5,00

1,00

—

—

—

—

—

—

SEED-BEARING

Permtted defects

Tolerances for defective fruit

Percentage by weight

By number

Pieces of stem (per kg)

Pedicels (%)

Immature and/or undeveloped berries

Mouldy

Insect damaged

Damaged

Sugared

Extraneous vegetable material

Mineral

impurities

—

—

2,00

4,00

1,00

5,00

15,00

0,03

0,01

2,00

5,00

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

CURRANTS

Permitted defects

Tolerances for defective fruit

Percentage by weight

By number

Pieces of stem (per kg)

Pedicels (%)

Immature and/or undeveloped berries

Mouldy

Insect damaged

Damaged

Sugared

Extraneous vegetable material

Mineral

impurities

—

—

1,50

4,00

1,00

3,00

15,00

0,03

0,01

1,00

3,00

—

—

—

—

—

—

—