CELEX: 51979PC0044
Language: en
Date: 1979-02-13
Title: Proposed for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 816/70 laying down additional provisions for the common organization of the market in wine and Regulation (EEC) No 817/70 laying down special provisions relating to quality wines produced in specified regions (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (79) 44
Vol. 1979/0014
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 ---pagebreak---      COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                           COM(79)44 final.
                                                           Brussels , 13 February 1979 .
                                            Proposed for a
                                   COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC )
             amending Regulation ( EEC ) No 816/70 laying down additional
            provisions for the common organization of the market in wine
            and Regulation ( EEC ) No 817/70 laying down special provisions
               relating to quality wines produced in specified regions
                    ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
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 ---pagebreak---                              EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Regulations ( EEC ) Nos 816/ 70 and 817/ 70 authorize the addition of sucrose
in aqueous solution to fresh grapes, grape must in fermentation and new
wine still in fermentation until 30 June 1979 .     With the aim of establish­
ing fair conditions of competition throughout the Community and of
discouraging the vinification of unripe grapes , it appears advisable to
abandon this practice . However , in part of wine-growing zone A such a
prohibition seems scarcely to be possible at the moment , since a certain
method of de-acidification is not yet familiar to all producers . It is
therefore necessary to extend for a relatively short period of time the
period during which the addition of sucrose in aqueous solution is
authorized solely in the regions where this practice is traditional and in
respect of products made from particularly acidic varieties .
Moreover, experience has shown that drinks such as cider and , also, powders
used in making drinks at the purchaser 's premises are sometimes sold under
descriptions such as " Chablis type", " Burgundy type" or " Bernkastel ". Such
practices are liable to create an erroneous impression on the part of the
consumer as to the nature and origin of the drink in question . It is thus
advisable to take steps to put an end to these practices .
The adoption of this proposal for a Regulation involves no financial charge
on the Community budget .
 ---pagebreak---                                  PROPOSAL FOR
                            COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC )
           amending Regulation (EEC) No 816/70 laying down additional
          provisions for the common organization of the market in wine
          and Regulation (EEC) No 817/ 70 laying down special provisions
              relating to quality wines produced in specified regions
 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
 Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ,
 and in particular Articles 42 and 43 thereof ,
                                                       (1 )
 Having regard to the proposal from the Commission          ,
                                                              (2)
.Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament          ,
 Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee*^,
                                                <U )
 Whereas Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 816 / 70
 as last amended by Regulation ( EEC ) Mo 3065 / 78
 and Council Regulation ( EEC) No 817/70 (6) as last amended by
 Regulation (EEC) No 2211 /77*^, authorized the addition of sucrose in
 aqueous solution to fresh grapes , grape must , grape must in fermentation or
 new wine still in fermentation in certain regions of wine-growing zone A
 only until 30 June 1979; whereas certain de-acidification practices are
 not yet familiar to all          wine producers in the regions concerned ;
  (1 )
  (2)
  ( 3)
  (4)  0J  No  L  99, 5 . 5.1970 , P - 1
  (5)  0J  No  L 366, 28.12.1978, p. 9
  (6 ) 0J  No  L  99, 5 . 5.1970, p. 20
  (7)  0J  No  L 256, 7.10.1977, P. 1
 ---pagebreak--- Whereas, in order to establish fair conditions of competition throughout
the Community and to discourage the vinification of unripe grapes , it
appears advisable to extend until 15 March 1981 the possibility of using
sucrose in aqueous solution, though solely in the case of products made
from grapes of certain varieties and from regions to be determined in wine-
growing zone A ;
Whereas it has been found in recent years that drinks not covered
 by the wine sector and certain basic raw materials used in producing these
 drinks are being marketed which are described by the name of a specific
 region or of a geographical unit which is normally used for describing a wine ;
whereas these trade practices are liable to mislead the consumer as to the
nature and origin of the product thus described and to injure the interests
of wine producers ;
Whereas , with a view to informing consumers correctly and providing appro­
priate protection for the legitimate interests of wine producers , it is
necessary to make explicit the prohibition on the use of the name of a
specific region or geographical unit , of a traditional specific indica­
tion ,     of an additional traditional indication which is recognized by a
Member State or         non-member country as belonging to a wine or of the
name of a variety of wine in respect of drinks which are not referred to in
Article 1(2 ) of Regulation ( EEC ) No 816/ 70 as well as in respect of raw
materials other than wine-growing raw materials ,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :
                                     Article 1
The second subparagraph of Article 19(3 ) of Regulation ( EEC )
No 816 / 70 is amended to read as follows :
" However , until 15 March 1981     , sucrose may be added in aqueous solution
  solely in the case of products
  - which are made from varieties of vine which yield relatively acidic
     grapes and
  - which derive from grapes harvested in certain wine-growing regions to
     be defined in the northern part of wine-growing zone A in which this
     practice is traditional and customary,
  provided that the increase in volume of the product to which the solution
   is added is not greater than 15% ."
 ---pagebreak---                                            - 3 -
                                          Article 2
    Regulation ( EEC ) No 817 / 70 is amended as follows :
1 . The fifth subparagraph of Article 7C2 ) is amended to read as follows :
      "However , until 15 March 1981 , sucrose may be added in aqueous solution
       solely in the case of products
       - which derive from varieties of vine which yield relatively acidic
          grapes and
       - which are made from grapes harvested in certain specific regions to
          be defined in the northern part of wine-growing zone A in which this
          practice is traditional and customary,
       provided that the increase in volume of the product to which the solution
       is added is not greater than 10% .
2 . The following text is added to Article 12 :
    " 3a . The name of a specific region or geographical unit , a
           specific traditional indication ,      an additional traditional indi­
           cation which is recognized by a Member State or          non-member
           country as belonging to a wine or the name of a variety of wine may
           not be used for describing either a drink which is not re­
           ferred to in Article 1(2 ) of Regulation ( EEC ) No 816 / 70 or a
           product which is clearly intended for use as a
           basic raw material for such a drink .
           However , this prohibition shall not apply in the case of wine-based
            or grape marc-based potable spirits ."
                                          Article 3
     This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 July 1979 .
     However , Article 2(2 ) shall apply from 1 January 1980 .
     This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in
     all Member States .
      Done at Brussels ,                                    For the Council
                                                            The President
 ---pagebreak---                           Draft Council Declaration
The Council notes the Commission 's intention to amend Articled of Regula­
tion (EEC ) No 1594/ JO in such a manner that the addition of sucrose in
aqueous solution to fresh grapes , grape must , grape must in fermentation or
new wine still in fermentation remains authorized until 15 March 1981 only
in the Regierungsbezirke Trier , Koblenz and Koln and in the Landkreis
Merzig in the Federal Republic of Germany in the case of products derived
from the Riesling and Elbling varieties .