Council Regulation (EC) No 1677/1999 of 19 July 1999 amending Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 on the common organisation of the market in wine

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1677/1999
of 19 July 1999
amending Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 on the common organisation of the market in wine
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 37 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(3),
Whereas:
(1) the production potential arrangements, provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May on the common organisation of the wine market(4), involve the granting of new planting rights within a certain limit; these arrangements enter into force on 1 August 2000; the requirements for additional rights in certain wine-growing regions justify granting such rights in advance; the new planting of vines should therefore be permitted as from 1 January 2000; that possibility can be provided for only if the relevant provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 are complied with;
(2) to take account of the special conditions in which table wines are produced in Spain, temporary derogations should be laid down concerning blending of wines in that Member State;
(3) as a temporary derogation, the total acidity of table wines should be fixed at a lower level in certain wine-growing zones;
(4) pending application of the reform of the sector and in order to avoid any legal hiatus, certain provisions referred to in Article 39 of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87(5) should be extended for a further wine year;
(5) Article 46(4) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 provides that campaigns to promote the consumption of grape juice may be conducted only until the 1998/1999 wine year; they should be continued for one wine year so that their effectiveness may be assessed;
(6) Article 65(5) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 provides that, during the 1998/1999 wine year, the Commission is to submit to the Council a report on maximum sulphur dioxide levels in wine and any proposals arising therefrom; the significance for the sector of the sulphur dioxide problem calls for proposals taking account in particular of the work of the International Vine and Wine Office (IWO); that time limit should therefore be deferred by one wine year,