CELEX: 51989PC0082
Language: en
Date: 1989-02-24
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) concerning the addition of alcohol to products in the wine sector (presented by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (89) 82
Vol. 1989/0026
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                  COM(89 ) 82 final
                                                  Brussels , 24 February 1989
                                    Proposal for a
                        COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC )
   concerning the addition of alcohol to products in the wine sector
                     ( presented by the Commission )
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 ---pagebreak---                        EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
On 1 April 1987 the Commission instructed its departments " to
produce a formal consolidated version of legislative instruments
no later than after their tenth amendment " ( C0M(87 ) Min 868 ).
The Commission was responding to a concern for clarity and
comprehensibility in Community law which had repeatedly been
expressed by Parliament , and recognizing the need for consolidation
and simplification of Community legislation in the various
fields it covers .
This proposal , which would provide a consolidated version of
Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 351 / 79 of 5 February 1979 concerning
the addition of alcohol to products in the wine sector , forms
part of a broader programme of consolidation of the wine
regulations ; although Regulation No 351 / 79 has been amended only
four times , it would be useful to adapt the references given in
it , which have been overtaken by earlier consolidating legislation ,
and to reformulate goods descriptions and tariff heading numbers
in accordance with the combined nomenclature introduced with
effect from 1 January 1988 by Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 2658 / 87 .
The proposal aims at legislative consolidation : the existing
regulations would be replaced by one new one , which would leave
their substance untouched but would assemble them into a single
text , with only the formal amendments required by the operation
itself .
In the text attached improvements and corrections have been
entered on a photocopy of the original text , so as to make them
immediately identifiable .
 ---pagebreak---                            - 3 -
               COUNCIL REGULATION      ( EEC ) No 351 /79
                          of 5 February     1979
concerning the addition of alcohol to products In the wine sector
                 ( OJ No L 54 of 5 March   1979 , p.90 )
                              amended by :
 the Act of Accession of Greece ( OJ No L 291 of 19.11.79 , p. 82 )
                         and by Régulations :
            3658 / 81    ( OJ NO L 366 Of 22.12.81 , p . 1 )
             255 / 87    ( OJ No L 26 of 29 . 1 . 87 ,p . 2 )
            3904 / 88    ( OJ No L 347 of 1 6 . 1 2 . 88 , p . 9 )
 ---pagebreak---                                                -   4 -
                                       Proposai for a
                                      COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC)
                            concerning the addition of alcohol to products in the wine sector
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 822/ 87
of 16 March 1987 on the common organization of the
market in wine ('), as last amended by Regulation (EEC)
       4iIo0 |?<2O> an<l >n particular Article %'S (2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
 Whereas , following a number of successive consoli ¬
 dations of the Community rules on wine , in the
 interests of clarity ,         Council Regulation ( EEC )
 No 351 / 79 of 5 February 1979 concerning the addi ¬
 tion of alcohol to products in the wine sector ( 3 ),
 as last amended by Regulation ( EEC ) No 3904 /88 ( 4 ),
should be consolidated and the references containeo
 therein adapted;
  Whereas, pursuant to Article 25 ( 1 ) of Regulation
  (EEC) No 822 '87 - the addition of alcohol to the
  products listed in Article 1 (2) of that Regulation is                  351 / 79
 prohibited, with the exception of wines fortified for
 distillation and liqueur wines; whereas Article 25 (2),
  however, permits exceptions from this prohibition;
 Whereas the possibility of adding alcohol to table wines
 and to quality wines produced in specified regions
 should be provided for where they are exported to third
  countries, either to take account of consumer habits in
  those countries, or to prevent climatic conditions or
 transport from affecting the quality of the expbrted
 wines; whereas the non-European areas of Member
  States are in the same situation as the third countries-in
  question; whereas this possibility should therefore be
  extended to consignments of these products to those
  areas; whereas, however, to enforce the prohibition on
  the addition of alcohol, the sale of these products
  should be forbidden in the European areas of the
  ( 1 ) OJ No L 84, 27.3.1979, p. 1 .
  (2) OJ No L 373, 31.12.1988, p. 55 .
  (3) OJ No L 54, 5.3.1979, p. 90.
  (4) OJ No L 347, 16.12.1988, p. 9.
 ---pagebreak---                                   -  5 -
Member      States ; whereas,     to   simplify   control ,
re-dispatching to the European areas of Member States
should be prohibited ;
Whereas it is also necessary to authorize the addition of
alcohol in the form of an expedition liqueur to
sparkling wines and, under certain conditions, to
semi-sparkling wines ;
Whereas it appears advisable to provide for the addition
of alcohol to grape must imported from third countries
 so as to establish a practice comparable to that for
 Community grape must ;
Whereas the preparation of certain products falling
within   Code NC 22 05 end Code NC 22 06 .0093 ,
 and 22 06 0099 requires the addition of
alcohol to some of the products listed in Article 1 (2) of
Regulation (EEC) No 822 /87.} whereas such
preparation is significant enough to justify an exception
from the prohibition on the addition of alcohol;
Whereas, in order to prevent fraud, in all cases the        6.
nature of the alcohol which may be added should be
specified and in certain cases the permissible limits for
the addition of alcohol should be fixed ;
Whereas the measures concerning products falling            7.
within Code NC 22 05         should be of a temporary
nature, pending the adoption of provisions
supplementing or harmonizing the definitions of those
products ; whereas such measures should therefore be
laid down for a limited pfcriod ; whereas authorization
for the addition of alcohol to grape musts imported
from third countries might, if granted systematically
and without restriction,, disturb the market in
Community grape must; whereas the consequences of
such authorization should therefore be examined at the
 end of an experimental period ; whereas, to that end, it
appears justified to restrict this period to 31 December
 1989 ,
 HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :
 ---pagebreak---                               Article 1
Notwithstanding Article 13(1 ) of Regulation
 ( EEC ) No 822/87, alcohol may, under the conditions         351 / 79
laid down in this Regulation, be added to the following
products :
  1.     Table wines and quality wines psr, where
 climatic conditions or consumer habits necessitate an
 addition of alcohol and where they are exported to           255 / 87
 third countries ;
  2. (a ) sparkling wines in the form of an expedition
             liqueur,                                         351 / 79
      (b) semi-sparkling wines in the form of an
            expedition liqueur and provided that this
            method is traditional and permitted under the
            laws in force in the producer Member States;
3. (a) grape must produced in the Community, derived
           exclusively from vine varieties referred to in
            Article 13 of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 and
           having a natural alcoholic strength by volume of
            not less than 8-5% vol,
      (b) grape must in fermentation produced in the
            Community, derived exclusively from vine
            varieties referred to in Article 13 of Regulation
             ( EEC ) No 822/87 and having at least the
            minimum natural alcoholic strength by volume
            fixed for the wine-growing zone where the
            grapes were harvested,
      (c) imported grape must having a natural alcoholic
           strength by volume of not less than 8-5 % vol,
      (d ) table wines,
      (e) quality wines psr,
      (f) in certain cases liqueur wines, whether or not
            imported,
       (g) 'imported wines fulfilling the requirements of
            Article 70(1 )       of Regulation (EEC) No
             822/87,
       intended for the preparation of products falling
       within Code NC 22 05;
 4. concentrated grape must to be used in the
      manufacture of products falling within
       Code NC 22 06 0093 and 22 06 0099 .
 ---pagebreak---                                    7
                            Article 2
  I.    The alcohol added 10 the prodiacis listed
 in Article 1 ( I ) and ( 2 ) must be either neutral
 alcohol of vinous origin , including alcohol
 from dried grapes , having an actual alcoholic
 M rengi h of not les-s than 95% vol or an
 unrcctilicd     product      derived    from    the
distillation of wine and having an actual
alcoholic strength bv volume of not less than
52 °/c vo l and not more than 80% vol .
 However, in the case of .sparkling wines and
 semi-sparkling wines, 'esprit de Cognac' complying with
 the laws in force in the producer Member State may be
 added.
~2. The alcohol added to the products listed in Article 1
 (3 ) and (4 ) must be ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin.
 ---pagebreak---                              -   8 -
                         Article 3
1 . The quantities of alcohol added may not:
(a ) increase the total alcoholic strength by volume of      351 / 79
     the products specified in Article 1 ( 1 ) by more than
     2% vol ;
(b) increase the total alcoholic strength by volume of
     the products specified in Article 1 (2) by more than
     0-5% vol .
2. The products referred to in Article 1 (3 ) (a) and (c)
may not, after the addition of alcohol, have an actual
alcoholic strength by volume of less than 15% vol or
more than 22% vol .
3 . Member      States   may    impose     more    stringent
restrictions on the addition of alcohol to quality wines
psr, or even prohibit it altogether.
 ---pagebreak--- Article 4
The following shall be applicable until 31 December
198SU_                                                  3904 / 88
– Artide 1 (2) (b) and (3),
– the second subparagraph of Article 2 (1 ), insofar as
   it refers to the products specified in Article 1 (2) 255 / 87
   H
– Article 2 (2), insofar as it refers to the products
   specified in Article 1 (3).
 ---pagebreak---                                     10 -
                          Article 5
  1 . Regulation ( EEC) No351         is hereby repealed.
  2. References to the Regulation repealed under para-
“ graph 1 shall     be construed      as references to this
  Régulation .
                            Article 6
     This Regulation shall enter into force on
    This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
    States.
    Done at Brussels ,
                                                                      For the Council
                                                                        The President
 ---pagebreak---                             - U-
COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT IMPACT STATEMENT
Consolidated version of Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 351 / 79 of
                     5 February 1979 concerning the addition of
                     alcohol to products in the wine sector
This proposal from the Commission meets the wish expressed many times
by the Member States and the European Parliament that measures should
be taken to speed up the codifying and simplifying of Community law .
The proposal contains no new provisions , and therefore has no part ¬
icular Impact on SMEs ; but It should be noted because Its aim , the
transparency of Community law , Is In the long-term Interests of SMEs .
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