CELEX: 31999R2418
Language: en
Date: 1999-11-12 00:00:00
Title: Commission Regulation (EC) No 2418/1999 of 12 November 1999 opening individual invitations to tender for the sale for export of vinous alcohol

13. 11. 1999            EN                     Official Journal of the European Communities                                       L 291/15
                                          COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2418/1999
                                                          of 12 November 1999
                       opening individual invitations to tender for the sale for export of vinous alcohol
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                               HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,                                                                                             Article 1
                                                                          Four sales by individual invitation to tender Nos 270/99 EC,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 of 16                 272/99 EC, 273/99 EC and 274/99 EC shall be held for a total
March 1987 on the common organisation of the market in                    quantity of 400 000 hectolitres of alcohol obtained from the
wine (1), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1677/1999 (2),            distillation operations referred to in Articles 35, 36 and 39 of
                                                                          Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 and held by the Italian, French
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3877/88 of 12                and Spanish intervention agencies.
December 1988 laying down general rules for the disposal of
alcohol obtained from the distillation operations referred to in          Each of the individual invitations to tender Nos 270/99 EC,
Articles 35, 36 and 39 of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 and                  272/99 EC, 273/99 EC and 274/99 EC shall cover a quantity
held by intervention agencies (3),                                        of 100 000 hectolitres of alcohol at 100 % volume.
Whereas:
                                                                                                       Article 2
(1)     Commission Regulation (EEC) No 377/93 (4), as last                The alcohol offered for sale:
        amended by Regulation (EC) No 1448/97 (5), lays down
        detailed rules for the disposal of alcohol obtained from          — shall be for export outside the European Community,
        the distillation operations referred to in Articles 35, 36        — must be imported into and dehydrated in one of the
        and 39 of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 and held by                      following third countries:
        intervention agencies;
                                                                              — Costa Rica,
                                                                              — Guatemala,
(2)     individual invitations to tender should be opened for the
        export of vinous alcohol to certain Caribbean and                     — Honduras, including the Swan Islands,
        Central American countries so as to guarantee                         — El Salvador,
        continuity of supplies to those countries and reduce the              — Nicaragua,
        Community stock of vinous alcohol;
                                                                              — St Kitts and Nevis,
                                                                              — Bahamas,
(3)     a specific security should be provided for to ensure that
        the alcohol is physically exported from the customs                   — Dominican Republic,
        territory of the Community and non-compliance with                    — Antigua and Barbuda,
        the date laid down for export should be progressively
        penalised; whereas this security must be independent of               — Dominica,
        the performance guarantee ensuring that the alcohol is                — British Virgin Islands and Montserrat,
        removed from storage and the awarded alcohol is used
        for the purposes laid down;                                           — Jamaica,
                                                                              — Saint Lucia,
(4)     since Council Regulation (EC) No 2799/98 of 15                        — Saint Vincent, including the Northern Grenadines,
        December 1998 on establishing agrimonetary arrange-                   — Barbados,
        ments for the euro (6), tender prices and guarantees must
                                                                              — Trinidad and Tobago,
        be expressed in euro and payments must be made in
        euro;                                                                 — Belize,
                                                                              — Grenada, including the Southern Grenadines,
(5)     the measures provided for in this Regulation are in                   — Aruba,
        accordance with the opinion of the Management                         — Netherlands Antilles (Curação, Bonaire, Saint Eustace,
        Committee for Wine,                                                        Saba and the southern part of Saint Martin),
(1) OJ L  84, 27.3.1987, p. 1.                                                — Guyana,
(2) OJ L  199, 30.7.1999, p. 8.                                               — United States Virgin Islands,
(3) OJ L  346, 15.12.1988, p. 7.
(4) OJ L  43, 20.2.1993, p. 6.                                                — Haiti,
(5) OJ L  198, 25.7.1997, p. 4.
(6) OJ L  349, 24.12.1998, p. 1.                                          — must be used only as motor fuel.
 ---pagebreak--- L 291/16              EN                      Official Journal of the European Communities                                   13. 11. 1999
                              Article 3                                  3.     The performance guarantee shall be EUR 25 per hecto-
                                                                         litre of alcohol at 100 % volume.
The location and reference numbers of the vats concerned, the
quantity of alcohol contained in each vat, the alcoholic                 This guarantee shall be released in accordance with Article
strength and the characteristics of the alcohol as well as certain       34(3)(b) of Regulation (EEC) No 377/93.
specific conditions are given in Annex I hereto.
                                                                         4.     Notwithstanding Article 17 of Regulation (EEC) No 377/
                                                                         93, the guarantees on export and performance shall be lodged
                                                                         simultaneously with each intervention agency concerned, for
                              Article 4                                  each of the invitations to tender referred to in Article 1 of this
                                                                         Regulation not later than the day of issue of a removal order
The sales shall take place in accordance with Articles 13 to 18,         for the quantity of alcohol concerned.
30 to 34 and 36 to 38 of Regulation (EEC) No 377/93, and
Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 2799/98.
                                                                                                       Article 6
However, notwithstanding Article 15 of Regulation (EEC) No
377/93, the final date for the submission of tenders for the
invitations to tender referred to in this Regulation, shall fall         1.     The alcohol awarded under the invitations to tender
between the eighth and the 25th day following the date of                referred to in Article 1 shall be exported by 30 June 2000 at
publication of the individual invitations to tender.                     the latest.
                                                                         2.     The alcohol awarded shall be used within two years from
                                                                         the date of first removal.
                              Article 5
1.     The tendering security referred to in Article 15 of Regula-                                     Article 7
tion (EEC) No 377/93 shall be EUR 362 200 for the total
quantity of alcohol offered for sale in each of the invitations to
tender referred to in Article 1.                                         To be valid, tenders must indicate the place where end use of
                                                                         the alcohol awarded is to take place and must include an
                                                                         undertaking by the tenderer to the effect that the alcohol will
Maintenance of the tender after the time limit for submitting            be sent to that destination and used for that purpose. The
tenders and the lodging of a guarantee to ensure export and of           tender shall also include proof following the entry into force of
a performance guarantee shall constitute the primary require-            this Regulation that the tenderer has binding commitments
ments within the meaning of Article 20 of Commission Regu-               with an operator in the motor fuel sector in one of the third
lation (EEC) No 2220/85 (1) as regards the tendering security.           countries listed in Article 2 who has undertaken to dehydrate
                                                                         the alcohol awarded in one of those countries and to export it
The tendering security lodged for each of the invitations to             for use solely as motor fuel.
tender referred to in Article 1 shall be released immediately if
the tender is not accepted or if the successful tenderer had
lodged the entire guarantee to ensure export and the entire
performance guarantee for the invitation to tender in question.                                        Article 8
                                                                         1.     Before the awarded alcohol is removed, the intervention
2.     The guarantee to ensure export shall be EUR 5 per
                                                                         agency and the successful tenderer shall take a reference sample
hectolitre of alcohol at 100 % volume and shall be lodged for
                                                                         and shall analyse that sample to verify the alcoholic strength
each quantity of alcohol for which there is a removal order
                                                                         expressed in % volume of the alcohol in question.
under each of the invitations to tender referred to in Article 1
of this Regulation.
                                                                         Where the final results of the analysis of the sample show a
                                                                         difference between the alcoholic strength by volume of the
This guarantee shall be released only by the intervention                alcohol to be removed and the minimum alcoholic strength by
agency holding the alcohol for each quantity of alcohol for              volume stated in the notice of invitation to tender, the
which proof has been furnished that it has been exported                 following provisions shall apply:
within the time limit laid down in Article 6 of this Regulation.
Notwithstanding Article 23 of Regulation (EEC) No 2220/85,                (i) the intervention agency shall, the same day, inform the
and except in cases of force majeure, where the time limit                    Commission thereof in accordance with Annex II, as well
referred to in Article 6 has not been complied with, the guar-                as the storer and the successful tenderer;
antee to ensure export of EUR 5 per hectolitre of alcohol at             (ii) the successful tenderer may:
100 % volume shall be forfeit as follows:
                                                                              — either agree to take over the lot with its characteristics
(a) 15 % in all cases;                                                            as established, subject to the Commission's agreement,
                                                                              — or refuse to take over the lot in question.
(b) 0,33 % of the amount remaining after deduction of the
     15 %, for each day the time limit in question is exceeded.              In either case, the successful tenderer shall, the same day,
                                                                             inform the intervention agency and the Commission thereof
(1) OJ L 205, 3.8.1985, p. 5.                                                in accordance with Annex III.
 ---pagebreak--- 13. 11. 1999          EN                     Official Journal of the European Communities                                      L 291/17
Once these formalities have been completed, if he has refused                                       Article 9
to take over the lot concerned, he shall be immediately released
from all his obligations relating to that lot.                          Notwithstanding the first subparagraph of Article 36(2) of
                                                                        Regulation (EEC) No 377/93, the alcohol contained in the vats
                                                                        indicated in the communication from the Member States
                                                                        referred to in Article 36 of Regulation (EEC) No 377/93 and
2.    Where the successful tenderer refuses the merchandise, as         covered by the invitation to tender referred to in Article 1 of
provided for in paragraph 1, the intervention agency shall              this Regulation may be substituted by alcohol of the same type
supply him with another quantity of alcohol of the requisite            by the intervention agency holding the alcohol concerned in
quality, at no extra charge, within a maximum of eight days.            agreement with the Commission, or mixed with other alcohol
                                                                        delivered to the intervention agency until a removal order is
                                                                        issued for that alcohol, in particular for logistical reasons.
3.    If physical removal of the alcohol is delayed by more
than five working days in relation to the date of acceptance of                                    Article 10
the lot to be removed by the successful tenderer for reasons
attributable to the intervention agency, the Member State shall         This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publica-
be responsible for the payment of compensation.                         tion in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
                     This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
                     Done at Brussels, 12 November 1999.
                                                                                    For the Commission
                                                                                      Franz FISCHLER
                                                                                Member of the Commission
 ---pagebreak--- L 291/18          EN                           Official Journal of the European Communities                                        13. 11. 1999
                                                                    ANNEX I
                                        INDIVIDUAL INVITATION TO TENDER No 270/99 EC
                            I. Place of storage, volume and characteristics of the alcohol offered for sale
                                                                                                   Reference to
                                                                                     Volume in
             Member                                                     Reference                   Regulation
                                            Location                                hectolitres of                 Type of alcohol
              State                                                   number of vat                   (EEC)
                                                                                    pure alcohol
                                                                                                   No 822/87
         ITALY            Dist.  Bonollo Spa, Anagni-Paduni (Fr)                       34 000          35        Raw alcohol
                          Dist.  Bonollo Spa, Anagni-Paduni (Fr)                       16 000          36        Raw alcohol
                          Dist.  Caviro Scrl, Faenza (Ra)                              30 000          35        Raw alcohol
                          Dist.  De Luca Spa, Lecce                                     5 000          35        Raw alcohol
                          Dist.  SVA Spa, Ortona (Ch)                                   5 000          35        Raw alcohol
                          Dist. Di Lorenzo, Ponte Valleceppi (Pg)                      10 000          35        Raw alcohol
                                                                Total                100 000
         Any interested party may, on application to the intervention agency concerned and on payment of EUR 2,415 per litre,
         obtain samples of the alcohol offered for sale. Such samples shall be taken by a representative of the intervention agency
         concerned.
                                                    II. Destination and use of the alcohol
         The alcohol offered for sale must be exported from the Community. It must be imported into and dehydrated in one of
         the non-member countries listed in Article 2 of this Regulation as for use exclusively as motor fuel.
         Evidence relating to the destination and use of the alcohol is to be obtained by an international security company and
         transmitted to the intervention agency concerned.
         The costs thus incurred are to be borne by the successful tenderer.
                                                          III. Submission of tenders
         1. Tenders should be submitted for a quantity of 100 000 hectolitres of alcohol, expressed in hectolitres of alcohol at
             100 % vol.
             Any tender relating to a smaller quantity will not be considered.
         2. Tenders must:
             — be sent by registered post to the European Commission, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussels, or
             — be submitted at the reception of the Loi 130 building of the European Commission, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 130,
                 B-1049 Brussels, between 11 a.m. and 12 noon on the date mentioned in point 4.
         3. Tenders must be enclosed in a sealed envelope marked ‘Tender for individual sale No 270/99 EC (alcohol), DG VI
             (E-2), to be opened only at the meeting of the group’, which itself must be enclosed in an envelope addressed to the
             Commission.
         4. Tenders must reach the Commission not later than 12 noon (Brussels time) on 30 November 1999.
         5. Tenders must state the name and address of the tenderer and must:
             (a) include a reference to individual sale by tender No 270/99 EC;
             (b) specify the price tendered, expressed in euro per hectolitre of alcohol at 100 % vol;
             (c) include all the undertakings and statements referred to in Article 31 of Regulation (EEC) No 377/93, specify the
                 final destination of the alcohol awarded and include proof of a commitment with an operator for dehydration and
                 use solely as motor fuel.
 ---pagebreak--- 13. 11. 1999        EN                      Official Journal of the European Communities                                       L 291/19
            6. Each tender must be accompanied by attestations of the lodging of a tendering security, issued by the following
               intervention agency:
               — AIMA, via Palestro 81, I-00185 Roma (tel. (39-06) 47 49 91; telex 62 03 31/62 02 52/61 30 03; fax (39-06)
                   445 39 40/495 39 40).
               This security must correspond to a sum of EUR 362 200.
 ---pagebreak--- L 291/20          EN                           Official Journal of the European Communities                                        13. 11. 1999
                                        INDIVIDUAL INVITATION TO TENDER No 272/99 EC
                           I. Place of storage, volume and characteristics of the alcohol offered for sale
                                                                                            Reference to
                                                                              Volume in
             Member                                              Reference                   Regulation
                                      Location                               hectolitres of                      Type of alcohol
              State                                            number of vat                   (EEC)
                                                                             pure alcohol
                                                                                            No 822/87
         ITALY            Bertolino SpA, Partinico (Pa)                         29 050       35 + 36     Neutral
                                                                                10 425       35 + 36     Of good flavour + 92 %
                                                                                 5 684       35 + 36     Raw alcohol
                                                                                 7 841          39       neutral
                          Enodistil SpA, Alcamo (Tp)                             9 999          35       Raw alcohol
                                                                                 7 847          39       Raw alcohol
                                                                                    154         35       Of good flavour + 92 %
                          Gedis SpA, Marsala (Tp)                               10 727          35       Raw alcohol
                                                                                 5 273          39       Raw alcohol
                          Kronion Spa, Sciacca (Ag)                              5 424          35       Raw alcohol
                                                                                    456         36       neutral
                                                                                 2 722          39       Raw alcohol
                                                                                    398         35       Of good flavour + 92 %
                          Trapas, Petrosino (Tp)                                 3 306       35 + 36     Raw alcohol
                                                                                    694         39       Raw alcohol
                                                     Total                    100 000
         Any interested party may, on application to the intervention agency concerned and on payment of EUR 2,415 per litre,
         obtain samples of the alcohol offered for sale. Such samples shall be taken by a representative of the intervention agency
         concerned.
                                                   II. Destination and use of the alcohol
         The alcohol offered for sale must be exported from the Community. It must be imported into and dehydrated in one of
         the non-member countries listed in Article 2 of this Regulation as for use exclusively as motor fuel.
         Evidence relating to the destination and use of the alcohol is to be obtained by an international security company and
         transmitted to the intervention agency concerned.
         The costs thus incurred are to be borne by the successful tenderer.
                                                           III. Submission of tenders
         1. Tenders should be submitted for a quantity of 100 000 hectolitres of alcohol, expressed in hectolitres of alcohol at
             100 % vol.
             Any tender relating to a smaller quantity will not be considered.
         2. Tenders must:
             — be sent by registered post to the European Commission, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussels, or
             — be submitted at the reception of the Loi 130 building of the European Commission, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 130,
                 B-1049 Brussels, between 11 a.m. and 12 noon on the date mentioned in point 4.
         3. Tenders must be enclosed in a sealed envelope marked ‘Tender for individual sale No 272/99 EC (alcohol), DG VI
             (E-2), to be opened only at the meeting of the group’, which itself must be enclosed in an envelope addressed to the
             Commission.
         4. Tenders must reach the Commission not later than 12 noon (Brussels time) on 30 November 1999.
 ---pagebreak--- 13. 11. 1999        EN                          Official Journal of the European Communities                                        L 291/21
            5. Tenders must state the name and address of the tenderer and must:
               (a) include a reference to individual sale by tender No 272/99 EC;
               (b) specify the price tendered, expressed in euro per hectolitre of alcohol at 100 % vol;
               (c) include all the undertakings and statements referred to in Article 31 of Regulation (EEC) No 377/93, specify the
                   final destination of the alcohol awarded and include proof of a commitment with an operator for dehydration and
                   use solely as motor fuel.
            6. Each tender must be accompanied by attestations of the lodging of a tendering security, issued by the following
               intervention agency:
               — AIMA, via Palestro 81, I-00185 Roma (tel. (39-06) 47 49 91; telex 62 03 31/62 02 52/61 30 03; fax (39-06)
                   445 39 40/495 39 40).
               This security must correspond to a sum of EUR 362 200.
 ---pagebreak--- L 291/22          EN                           Official Journal of the European Communities                                        13. 11. 1999
                                        INDIVIDUAL INVITATION TO TENDER No 273/99 EC
                            I. Place of storage, volume and characteristics of the alcohol offered for sale
                                                                                                   Reference to
                                                                                     Volume in
             Member                                                     Reference                   Regulation
                                            Location                                hectolitres of                 Type of alcohol
              State                                                   number of vat                   (EEC)
                                                                                    pure alcohol
                                                                                                   No 822/87
         SPAIN            Tarancón                                        A-5          24 375       35 + 36      Raw alcohol
                          Tomelloso                                         4          11 769       35 + 36      Raw alcohol
                          Tomelloso                                         5          63 856       35 + 36      Raw alcohol
                                                                Total                100 000
         Any interested party may, on application to the intervention agency concerned and on payment of EUR 2,415 per litre,
         obtain samples of the alcohol offered for sale. Such samples shall be taken by a representative of the intervention agency
         concerned.
                                                    II. Destination and use of the alcohol
         The alcohol offered for sale must be exported from the Community. It must be imported into and dehydrated in one of
         the non-member countries listed in Article 2 of this Regulation as for use exclusively as motor fuel.
         Evidence relating to the destination and use of the alcohol is to be obtained by an international security company and
         transmitted to the intervention agency concerned.
         The costs thus incurred are to be borne by the successful tenderer.
                                                          III. Submission of tenders
         1. Tenders should be submitted for a quantity of 100 000 hectolitres of alcohol, expressed in hectolitres of alcohol at
             100 % vol.
             Any tender relating to a smaller quantity will not be considered.
         2. Tenders must:
             — be sent by registered post to the European Commission, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussels, or
             — be submitted at the reception of the Loi 130 building of the European Commission, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 130,
                 B-1049 Brussels, between 11 a.m. and 12 noon on the date mentioned in point 4.
         3. Tenders must be enclosed in a sealed envelope marked ‘Tender for individual sale No 273/99 EC (alcohol), DG VI
             (E-2), to be opened only at the meeting of the group’, which itself must be enclosed in an envelope addressed to the
             Commission.
         4. Tenders must reach the Commission not later than 12 noon (Brussels time) on 30 November 1999.
         5. Tenders must state the name and address of the tenderer and must:
             (a) include a reference to individual sale by tender No 273/99 EC;
             (b) specify the price tendered, expressed in euro per hectolitre of alcohol at 100 % vol;
             (c) include all the undertakings and statements referred to in Article 31 of Regulation (EEC) No 377/93, specify the
                 final destination of the alcohol awarded and include proof of a commitment with an operator for dehydration and
                 use solely as motor fuel.
         6. Each tender must be accompanied by attestations of the lodging of a tendering security, issued by the following
             intervention agency:
             — FEGA, Beneficencia, 8, E-28004 Madrid (tel. (34) 913 47 65 00, telex 23427 FEGA, fax (34) 915 21 98 32).
             This security must correspond to a sum of EUR 362 200.
 ---pagebreak--- 13. 11. 1999         EN                           Official Journal of the European Communities                                         L 291/23
                                           INDIVIDUAL INVITATION TO TENDER No 274/99 EC
                               I. Place of storage, volume and characteristics of the alcohol offered for sale
                                                                                               Reference to
                                                                                 Volume in
                Member                                              Reference                   Regulation
                                         Location                               hectolitres of                    Type of alcohol
                 State                                            number of vat                   (EEC)
                                                                                pure alcohol
                                                                                               No 822/87
            FRANCE           Port-la-Nouvelle                           2          41 269       35 + 36     Raw alcohol + 92 %
                             Av. Adolphe Turrel                         3          47 315       35 + 36     Raw alcohol + 92 %
                             BP 62                                     12           1 796       35 + 36     Raw alcohol + 92 %
                             F-11210 Port-la-Nouvelle
                                                                       21           9 620       35 + 36     Raw alcohol + 92 %
                                                        Total                    100 000
            Any interested party may, on application to the intervention agency concerned and on payment of EUR 2,415 per litre,
            obtain samples of the alcohol offered for sale. Such samples shall be taken by a representative of the intervention agency
            concerned.
                                                      II. Destination and use of the alcohol
            The alcohol offered for sale must be exported from the Community. It must be imported into and dehydrated in one of
            the non-member countries listed in Article 2 of this Regulation as for use exclusively as motor fuel.
            Evidence relating to the destination and use of the alcohol is to be obtained by an international security company and
            transmitted to the intervention agency concerned.
            The costs thus incurred are to be borne by the successful tenderer.
                                                              III. Submission of tenders
            1. Tenders should be submitted for a quantity of 100 000 hectolitres of alcohol, expressed in hectolitres of alcohol at
                100 % vol.
                Any tender relating to a smaller quantity will not be considered.
            2. Tenders must:
                — be sent by registered post to the European Commission, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussels, or
                — be submitted at the reception of the Loi 130 building of the European Commission, Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 130,
                    B-1049 Brussels, between 11 a.m. and 12 noon on the date mentioned in point 4.
            3. Tenders must be enclosed in a sealed envelope marked ‘Tender for individual sale No 274/99 EC (alcohol), DG VI
                (E-2), to be opened only at the meeting of the group’, which itself must be enclosed in an envelope addressed to the
                Commission.
            4. Tenders must reach the Commission not later than 12 noon (Brussels time) on 30 November 1999.
            5. Tenders must state the name and address of the tenderer and must:
                (a) include a reference to individual sale by tender No 274/99 EC;
                (b) specify the price tendered, expressed in euro per hectolitre of alcohol at 100 % vol;
                (c) include all the undertakings and statements referred to in Article 31 of Regulation (EEC) No 377/93, specify the
                    final destination of the alcohol awarded and include proof of a commitment with an operator for dehydration and
                    use solely as motor fuel.
            6. Each tender must be accompanied by attestations of the lodging of a tendering security, issued by the following
                intervention agency:
                — SAV, zone industrielle, avenue de la Ballastière, boîte postale 231, F-33505 Libourne Cedex (tel. (33-5)
                    57 55 20 00; telex 57 20 25; fax (33-5) 57 55 20 59).
                This security must correspond to a sum of EUR 362 200.
 ---pagebreak--- L 291/24        EN                           Official Journal of the European Communities                          13. 11. 1999
                                                                  ANNEX II
         The only telex and fax numbers in Brussels to be used are:
         DG VI (E-2) (for the attention of Mr Chiappone/Mr Innamorati):
            — telex:                 22037 AGREC B,
                                     22070 AGREC B (Greek characters),
            — fax:                   (32-2) 295 92 52.
                                                                 ANNEX III
         Communication of refusal or acceptance of lots under the individual invitation to tender for the export of
                                    vinous alcohol opened by Regulation (EC) No 2418/1999
         — Name of the successful tenderer:
         — Date of award of contract:
         — Date of refusal or acceptance of the lot by the successful tenderer:
                                 Quantity in               Location              Reason for refusal or acceptance
              Lot No
                                  hectolitres             of alcohol                      to take over