Council Regulation (EEC) No 3897/91 of 16 December 1991 amending for the third time Regulation (EEC) No 2392/89 laying down general rules for the description and presentation of wines and grape musts

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 3897/91
of 16 December 1991
amending for the  third time Regulation (EEC) No 2392/89 laying down general rules for the description and  presentation of wines and grape musts
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 (1), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1734/91 (2), and in particular  Article 72 (1) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas in order to allow the producers of certain table wines who designate their wines by the  name of a specific region to adapt to the rules of this Regulation the date appearing in Article 4  (4), last subparagraph, of Regulation (EEC) No 2392/89 (3), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No  2356/91 (4), should be extended to 31 August 1993;
Whereas Article 13 (3), second subparagraph, (b) of Regulation (EEC) No 2392/89 provides, until 31  August 1991, the possibility for the Member States to allow a quality wine psr to bear the name of  a given geographical unit which is smaller than a specified region, provided that at least 85 % of  the quantity of grapes used are picked in that unit, the remainder coming from grapes picked in  another geographical unit of the specified region; whereas experience has shown that this  transitional period is too short to allow certain Member States to establish larger units; whereas  this period should be extended;
Whereas Article 37 (1) (e) of Regulation (EEC) No 2392/89 lays down a prohibition on covering the  closing device of wine bottles with capsules containing lead; whereas in order to align the terms  in which that prohibition is expressed on those of Resolution No 7 approved on 6 September 1991 in  Paris by the International Vine and Wine Office, the abovementioned provision should be amended;
Whereas experience has shown that it is important to provide that the geographical name designating  a specified region must be sufficiently precise to avoid any possibility of confusion;
Whereas the use of brand names for the labelling of wines and grape musts is governed by Article 40  (2) and (3) of Regulation (EEC) No 2392/89; whereas, with a view to providing effective protection  for geographical names used for the description of wine-sector products, these provisions prohibit,  for the description and presentation of such products, the use of brand names which contain wording  that is identical to a geographical name used to describe a table wine, a quality wine psr or an  imported wine, unless the product described by the brand name in question is entitled to such a  name; whereas the application of these provisions has shown that there are well-known brand names  corresponding to the identity of the original holder or of the original provider of the name, which  have been registered and used for at least 25 years before the date of official recognition of the  geographical name; whereas such brand names should be allowed to continue to be used,