Commission Regulation (EC) No 1774/2004 of 14 October 2004 amending Regulation (EC) No 1623/2000 laying down detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine with regard to market mechanisms

15.10.2004 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 316/61
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1774/2004
of 14 October 2004
amending Regulation (EC) No 1623/2000 laying down detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine with regard to market mechanisms
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine (1), and in particular Articles 26 and 33 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Under the arrangements for the private storage of wine and musts provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999, producers should be allowed to conclude sales contracts during the period of validity of storage contracts in order to encourage them to become more market oriented.
(2) Article 42 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1623/2000 (2), provides for the approval of distillers of wine and the drawing up of lists of approved distillers. Given the importance of the distillation of potable alcohol, distillers should be guaranteed access to those lists. In addition, given advances in communications technologies, the electronic publication of this information should be provided for.
(3) As regards the arrangements for the distillation or the withdrawal under supervision of by-products of wine-making, the rules on the organic production of grapes should be clarified and the notification to the Commission of certain derogations granted by the Member States should be provided for.
(4) Article 63a of Regulation (EC) No 1623/2000, concerning the distillation of wine into potable alcohol, lays down a percentage of producers’ production that may be distilled. The percentage for the 2004/05 wine year should be set. In addition, experience in previous wine years indicates that some of the dates for this distillation should be amended. In order better to monitor the movement of the alcohol obtained in these distillation operations, prior authorisation should be provided for.
(5) In order to guarantee the smooth implementation of intervention measures where several Member States are involved, the Commission should be notified of the competent authorities designated by the Member States.
(6) Regulation (EC) No 1623/2000 should consequently be amended.
(7) In order to permit the application of the amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 for the whole wine year, this Regulation should apply from 1 August 2004.
(8) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Wine,