CELEX: 31977R1679
Language: en
Date: 1977-07-19 00:00:00
Title: Council Regulation (EEC) No 1679/77 of 19 July 1977 amending Regulations (EEC) No 816/70, (EEC) No 2893/74 and (EEC) No 817/70 as regards the maximum total sulphur dioxide content of wines other than liqueur wines

27 . 7 . 77                               Official Journal of the European Communities                        No L 187/ 15
                                         COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 1679/77
                                                          of 19 July 1977
                amending Regulations (EEC) No 816/70, (EEC) No 2893/74 and (EEC) No 817/70
                as regards the maximum total sulphur dioxide content of wines other than
                                                           liqueur wines
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN                                         that the Member States may permit an increase in the
COMMUNITIES,                                                        maximum total sulphur dioxide content for wines
                                                                    produced within their territory ; whereas, however, it is
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European               important, in the interests alike of quality and of the
Economic Community, and in particular Article 43                    market, for this possibility to be subject to the limits
thereof,                                                            and conditions appropriate to the types of wines
                                                                    concerned ;
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia­                Whereas provision should be made for the possibility
ment ( !),                                                          of reductions being made in the future in the
                                                                    maximum sulphur dioxide content in keeping with
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and                    scientific and technical developments ;
Social Committee (2),
                                                                    Whereas time should be allowed in order to facilitate
Whereas Article 26a of Council Regulation (EEC) No
                                                                    the changeover to the levels referred to in this Regula­
8 1 6/70 of 28 April 1 970 laying down additional provi­            tion ; whereas, therefore, the final date 28 February
sions for the common organization of the market in                   1978, for the validity of the present levels, should be
wine (3), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No
                                                                    postponed until 31 August 1978,
 1 677/77 (4), laid down the maximum sulphur dioxide
content of wines for direct human consumption, other
than sparkling wines and liqueur wines ; whereas
these provisions should be revised taking account of
the need to reduce the said content as far as the
present state of oenological knowledge of wine­                      HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :
making and of the preservation of wines allows ;
Whereas in the case of the sparkling wines and
quality sparkling wines referred to in Council Regula­                                      Article 1
tion (EEC) No 2893/74 of 18 November 1974 on
sparkling wines produced in the Community and
specified in item 12 of Annex II to Regulation (EEC)                Article 26a of Regulation (EEC) No 816/70 shall be
No 81 6/70 (5), as last amended by Regulation (EEC)                 replaced by the following :
No 529/77 (6), and of the quality sparkling wines
produced in specified regions referred to in Council                     'Article 26a
Regulation (EEC) No 817/70 of 28 April 1970 laying
down special provisions relating to quality wines
produced in specified regions (7), as last amended by                   1 . Without prejudice to any more restrictive
Regulation (EEC) No 529/77, the present state of                        provisions that Member States may apply to wines
oenological knowledge does not allow reduction of                       produced within their territory, the total sulphur
the total sulphur dioxide content at present laid down                  dioxide content of wines, other than sparkling
as a general rule for such wines, but does allow repeal                 wines and liqueur wines, on their release to the
of the derogations provided for in this field ;                         market for direct human consumption, may not
                                                                        exceed :
Whereas, in order to take account of the climatic
conditions in certain years, it is essential to stipulate               (a) 175 milligrams per litre for red wines ;
(•) OJ No C 163, 11 . 7. 1977, p. 72.                                   (b) 22 milligrams per litre for white and rose
(2) Opinion delivered on 22 June 1977 (not yet published in                  wines .
     the Official Journal).
(3 ) OJ No L 99, 5 . 5 . 1970, p. 1 .
(4) See page 6 of this Official Journal .                               2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1 , the
(5) OJ No L 310 , 21 . 11 . 1974, p. 1 .
(*) OJ No L 69 , 16 . 3 . 1977, p. 2.                                   maximum sulphur dioxide content shall be raised
  7) OJ No L 99 , 5 . 5 . 1970 , p. 20 .                                to :
 ---pagebreak--- No L 187/ 16                       Official Journal of the European Communities                              27 . 7 . 77
   (a) 225 milligrams per litre for red wines and 275              6. Detailed rules for application of this Article,
        milligrams per litre for white and rose wines              the decision referred to in paragraph 4, and transi­
        where their residual sugar content, expressed as           tional measures concerning wines produced before
        invert sugar, is not less than five grams per              1 September 1978 , shall be adopted in accordance
        litre ;                                                   with the procedure laid down , in Article 7 of Regu­
                                                                   lation No 24.'
   (b) 300 milligrams per litre for wines qualifying
        for the description "Spatlese", in accordance
        with Community provisions, and quality white                                   Article 2
        wines psr entitled to the registered designation
        of origin Bordeaux superieur, Graves de Vayres,      Article 12 of Regulation (EEC) No 2893/74 shall be
        Cotes de Bordeaux St Marcaire, Premieres             replaced by the following :
        Cotes de Bordeaux, Ste Foy Bordeaux ;                    'Article 12
   (c) 350 milligrams per litre for wines qualifying               1 . Without prejudice to any more restrictive
        for the description "Auslese", in accordance             provisions which Member States may apply to
       with Community provisions, and white wines                sparkling wines produced within their territory,
       described as "superior wine of designated                 the total sulphur dioxide content of sparkling
       origin" in accordance with Romanian legisla­              wines shall not exceed 250 milligrams per litre.
       tion and entitled to bear one of the following
       names : Murfatlar, Cotnari , Tirnave, Pietroasele,        2.      Where climatic conditions have made this
       Valea Calugareasca ;                                      necessary in certain wine-growing areas of the
  (d) 400 milligrams per litre for wines qualifying              Community, the Member States concerned may
       for the descriptions "Beerenauslese" and                  authorize the maximum total sulphur dioxide
       "Trockenbeerenauslese"     in   accordance   with         content of the wine referred to in paragraph 1 and
       Community provisions, and quality white                   produced within their territory to be increased by
       wines psr entitled to the registered designa­             a maximum of 25 milligrams per litre on condi­
       tions of origin Sauternes, Barsac, Cadillac,              tion that wines which have benefited from such
       Cérons,      Loupiac,     Sainte-Croix-du-Mont,           permission are not exported from the Member
       Monbazillac, Bonnezeaux, Quarts de Chaume,                States in question .
       Coteaux du Layon, Coteaux de l'Aubance,
       Graves Supérieures, Jurançon .                            3. By 1 September 1981 the Council, acting on
                                                                 a proposal from the Commission and in accor­
  3. The list of wines given in paragraph 2 (b), (c)             dance with the voting procedure laid down in
  and (d) may be amended by the Council acting on                Article 43 (2) of the Treaty, shall decide on the
  a proposal from the Commission in accordance                   reduction in the maximum total sulphur dioxide
  with the voting procedure laid down in Article 43              content in accordance with scientific knowledge
  (2) of the Treaty.                                             and the development of technology. To this end,
                                                                 the Commission will present, by 1 April 1981 at
  4.      Where climatic conditions have made this               the latest, a report accompanied by suitable propo­
  necessary it may be decided that the Member                    sals with the aim of reducing the said maximum
  States concerned may, in certain wine-growing                  content by at least 25 milligrams per litre, in so far
  areas of the Community, authorize, for wines                   as scientific knowledge and technological develop­
  produced within their territory, the maximum                   ment allow.
  total sulphur dioxide levels of less than 300 milli­
  grams per litre referred to in this Article to be              4. The detailed rules for the application of this
  increased by a maximum of 25 milligrams per                    Article and the transitional measures for sparkling
  litre .                                                        wines produced before the date of entry into force
                                                                 of this Regulation shall be adopted in accordance
  5. By 1 September 1981 the Council, acting on                  with the procedure laid down in Article 7 of Regu­
  a proposal from the Commission and in accor­                   lation No 24.'
  dance with the voting procedure laid down in
  Article 43 (2) of the Treaty, shall decide on reduc­                                Article 3
  tions in the maximum total sulphur dioxide
  content of wines in accordance with scientific             Article 16 of Regulation (EEC) No 2893/74 shall be
  knowledge and the development of technology,               replaced by the following :
  with regard to the limits referred to in paragraphs             'Article 16
  1 and 2. To this end, the Commission will present,
  by 1 April 1981 at the latest, a report accompanied            1 . Without prejudice to any more restrictive
  by suitable proposals with the aim of reducing the             provisions which Member States may apply to
  maximum total sulphur dioxide levels in wine by                quality sparkling wines produced within their terri­
  at least 25 milligrams per litre in so far as scien­           tory, the total sulphur dioxide content of quality
  tific knowledge and technological development                  sparkling wines shall not exceed 200 milligrams
  allow .                                                        per litre .
 ---pagebreak--- 27 . 7. 77                          Official Journal of the European Communities                        No L 187/ 17
     2.     Where climatic conditions have made this               authorize the maximum total sulphur dioxide
     necessary in certain wine-growing areas of the                content of quality sparkling wines psr, produced
     Community, the Member States concerned may                    within their territory, to be increased by a
     authorize the maximum total sulphur dioxide                   maximum of 25 milligrams per litre on condition
     content of the wine referred to in paragraph 1 and            that quality sparkling wines psr which have bene­
     produced within their territory to be increased by            fited from such permission are not exported from
     a maximum of 25 milligrams per litre on condi­                the Member States in question.
     tion that wines which have benefited from such
     permission are not exported from the Member                   3. By 1 September 1981 the Council, acting on
     States in question.                                           a proposal from the Commission and in accor­
                                                                   dance with the voting procedure laid down in
     3. By 1 September 1981 the Council, acting on                 Article 43 (2) of the Treaty, shall decide on the
     a proposal from the Commission and in accor­                  reduction in the maximum total sulphur dioxide
     dance with the voting procedure laid down in                  content in accordance with scientific knowledge
     Article 43 (2) of the Treaty, shall decide on the             and the development of technology. To this end,
     reduction in the maximum total sulphur dioxide                the Commission will present, by 1 April 1981 at
     content in accordance with scientific knowledge               the latest, a report accompanied by suitable propo­
     and the development of technology. To this end,               sals with the aim of reducing the said maximum
     the Commission will present, by 1 April 1981 at               content by at least 25 milligrams per litre in so far
     the latest, a report accompanied by suitable propo­           as scientific knowledge and technological develop­
     sals with the aim of reducing the said maximum                ment allow.
     content by at least 25 milligrams per litre, in so far
     as scientific knowledge and technological develop­            4. The detailed rules for the application of this
     ment allow.                                                   Article and the transitional measures for quality
                                                                   sparkling wines psr produced before the date of
     4. The detailed rules for the application of this             entry into force of this Regulation shall be
     Article and the transitional measures for quality             adopted in accordance with the procedure laid
     sparkling wines produced before the date of entry             down in Article 7 of Regulation No 24.'
     into force of this Regulation shall be adopted in
     accordance with the procedure laid down in                                         Article 5
     Article 7 of Regulation No 24.'
                                                               The date '28 February 1 978' :
                          Article 4
                                                               — in Article 26a of Regulation (EEC) No 816/70,
Article 10b of Regulation (EEC) No 817/70 shall be             — in Articles 12 and 16 of Regulation (EEC) No
replaced by the following :                                         2893/74,
     'Article 10b                                              — in Article 10b of Regulation (EEC) No 817/70,
      1 . Without prejudice to any more restrictive            shall be replaced by '31 August 1978'.
      provisions which Member States may apply to
     quality sparkling wines psr produced within their                                  Article 6
      territory, the total sulphur dioxide content of
      quality sparkling wines psr shall not exceed 200         This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day
      milligrams per litre.                                    following its publication in the Official Journal o]
                                                               the European Communities.
      2.     Where climatic conditions have made this
      necessary in certain wine-growing areas of the           It shall apply from 1 September 1978 , with the excep­
      Community, the Member States concerned may               tion of Article 5 .
                This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
                 States.
                 Done at Brussels, 19 July 1977.
                                                                            For the Council
                                                                              The President
                                                                              A. HUMBLET