Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/596 of 15 April 2015 amending Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 as regards the increase in the maximum total sulphur dioxide content where the climate conditions make this necessary
Date: 2015-04-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, anhydride, atmospheric conditions, food safety, preservative, regulation of agricultural production, vinification, wine








L_2015099EN.01002101.xml










16.4.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


L 99/21








            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2015/596
of 15 April 2015
         
amending Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 as regards the increase in the maximum total sulphur dioxide content where the climate conditions make this necessary


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (1), and in particular Article 91 point (c) thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Commission Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 (2) sets out the maximum permissible total sulphur dioxide content of wine. Point A(4) of Annex I B provides that the Commission may decide that Member States concerned may authorise an increase of a maximum of 50 milligrams per litre in the maximum total sulphur dioxide levels of less than 300 milligrams per litre, where climate conditions make this necessary.












(2)


On 1 December 2014, the competent German authorities sent an official request to increase the maximum permissible total sulphur dioxide content of wine of less than 300 milligrams per litre by a maximum of 50 milligrams per litre for wine produced from grapes harvested in 2014 in the wine-growing areas of the German Länder ‘Baden-Württemberg’, ‘Bavaria’, ‘Hessen’ and ‘Rhineland Palatinate’.












(3)


The technical note provided by the competent German authorities indicates that the climate conditions, in particular a warm and humid weather during harvest, have fostered the development of pests producing pyruvate, acetaldehyde and alpha-ketoglutaric acid. These substances bind to sulphur dioxide and reduce its preservative action. Therefore, the total quantities of sulphur dioxide needed to ensure the proper vinification and proper preservation are higher in wine produced from those grapes. The temporary authorisation referred to in Point A(4) of Annex I B to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 is therefore the only available option to allow the grapes affected by these unfavourable weather conditions to be used to produce wine suitable for placing on the market.












(4)


Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 should therefore be amended accordingly.












(5)


The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,





HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:



Article 1
Appendix 1 of Annex I B to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Regulation.


Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 15 April 2015.


For the Commission


The President

Jean-Claude JUNCKER
            





(1)  
            OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671.

(2)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 of 10 July 2009 laying down certain detailed rules for implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 as regards the categories of grapevine products, oenological practices and the applicable restrictions (OJ L 193, 24.7.2009, p. 1).




ANNEX




                     ‘Appendix I

Increase in the maximum total sulphur dioxide content where the climate conditions make this necessary










 


Year


Member State


Wine-growing areas


Wines concerned




1.


2000


Germany


All wine-growing areas of Germany


All wines obtained from grapes harvested in 2000




2.


2006


Germany


The wine-growing areas in the regions of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hessen and Rhineland Palatinate


All wines obtained from grapes harvested in 2006




3.


2006


France


The wine-growing areas in the departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin


All wines obtained from grapes harvested in 2006




4.


2013


Germany


The wine-growing areas of the demarcated area of the protected designation of origin “Mosel” and of the protected geographical indications “Landwein der Mosel”, “Landwein der Ruwer”, “Landwein der Saar” and “Saarländischer Landwein”


All wines obtained from grapes harvested in 2013




5.


2014


Germany


The wine-growing areas of the Länder “Baden-Württemberg”, “Bavaria”, “Hessen” and “Rhineland Palatinate”


All wines obtained from grapes harvested in 2014’