Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the  Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine (COM(2005) 395 final — 2005/0160 CNS)
Date: 2005-10-26
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: common organisation of markets, vinification, viticulture, wine

C 28/68

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

3.2.2006

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a Council Regu-
lation amending Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in
wine’

(COM(2005) 395 final — 2005/0160 CNS)

(2006/C 28/13)

On 21 September 2005, the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 37 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

On 27 September 2005, the Bureau of the European Economic and Social Committee instructed the
Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment to prepare its work on the subject.

In view of the urgency of the matter, the Committee appointed Mr Barato Triguero as rapporteur-general
at its 421st plenary session, held on 26 and 27 October 2005 (meeting of 26 October). The opinion was
adopted by 88 votes to one, with one abstention.

1. Conclusions and recommendations

2. Reason

2.1
The European Commission proposes to amend Council
Regulation No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the
market in wine.

2.2
The EESC considers that the Commission proposal is a
logical consequence of the need to adapt Community regula-
tions to the integration of new Member States into the Euro-
pean Union and to changes in the European wine sector. The
proposal brings transparency and clarity, and provides legal
cover for oenological practices recognised and authorised by
the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.

that,

should the Directorate-General

2.3
The EESC agrees with the introduction of dimethyl
dicarbonate (DMDC) as a new oenological practice but empha-
sises
for Health and
Consumer Protection decide to reduce the maximum sulphite
content and also to reduce or eliminate DMDC because it
increases methanol content, the wine sector would be left with
no technical alternative.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie SIGMUND

and

The

European

Economic

1.1
Social Committee
welcomes the amendments proposed by the Commission to the
provisions of Council Regulation 1493/1999 (1) and to its
annexes. These amendments make the changes needed to bring
the Regulation into line with the reality of the wine sector
today. The EESC proposes, however, that charcoal for oenolo-
gical use should also be accepted for still wines, because there
is no reason to exclude this from the list of acceptable prac-
tices.

1.2
This procedure, used in accordance with technical
is the only treatment for eliminating the ochratoxin
criteria,
content in red wines that require this which can be monitored
and which does not have drawbacks.

1.3
This Committee is of the view that the Commission
proposal to replace Annex IV (1)(i) with the following text:
treatment of must and new wine still in fermentation with charcoal
for oenological use, within certain limits should be amended so
that still wines can also be treated with oenological charcoal.

The Commission proposal should, therefore, read: treat-
1.4
ment of must, new wine still in fermentation and still wine with char-
coal for oenological use, within certain limits.

Brussels, 26 October 2005.

(1) OJ L 179, 14.7.1999, p. 1. Regulation last amended by Commission
Regulation (EC) No. 1795/2003 (OJ L 262, 14.10.2003, p. 13).