Wine products

Draft Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards wine-growing areas where the alcoholic strength may be increased, authorised oenological practices and restrictions applicable to the production and conservation of grapevine products, the minimum percentage of alcohol for by-products and their disposal, and publication of OIV files, and amending Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/273 as regards the importation of wine originating in Canada and exempting retailers of holding an inward and outward register (13 pages + Annex 46 pages, in English)

Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 provides for European Union rules on categories of grapevine products, oenological practices and the applicable restrictions for the wine sector and empowers the Commission to adopt delegated and implementing acts setting out the technical details on these matters in particular on authorised oenological, practices, products and processes for all the categories of wine products.

The purpose of this delegated act is therefore to supplement Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 as regards rules that are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market for grapevine products. In particular, it sets out the legal framework for the oenological practices and compounds that are authorised for the production of all the categories of grapevine products listed in Part II of Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.

The delegated act provides derogations to the acceptable limits for sulphur dioxides and volatile acidity.

The delegated act clarifies and simplifies the existing provisions. It also increases consistency between this regulation and the international code of oenological practices (OIV code) as regards Annex IA to this regulation.

As regards Regulation (EU) 2018/273, this Regulation adds Canada to the list of third countries that may benefit from a simplified procedure for the import of their wines as referred to in Article 26 of the same Regulation, in line with the agreement between the European Community and Canada on trade in wines and spirit drinks which has been incorporated into the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. It also re-establishes the exemption of retailers to old inward and outward registers.

The Delegated and Implementing Regulations repeal and replace Commission Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 of 10 July 2009 laying down certain detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 as regards the categories of grapevine products, oenological practices and the applicable restrictions (OJ L 193 24.7.2009, p. 1). Please note that only the provisions related to technical standards, definitions and labelling would fall under the scope of the TBT Agreement. Elements pertaining to intellectual property rights, in particular to the application and/or implementation of Geographical Indications (GIs) are included in this notification as part of a legislative package but clearly falling outside the scope of the TBT agreement.