*****

COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 2145/82

of 27 July 1982

amending Regulation (EEC) No 338/79 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 Article 43 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 Article 7 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 338/79 (4), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3578/81 (5), fixes for the various wine-growing zones the minimum alcoholic strengths which must be respected by Member States when establishing the rules on production for each quality wine psr; whereas experience has shown that in certain northern wine-growing regions of wine-growing Zone A, wine of a satisfactory quality may be obtained from grapes which do not quite reach the prescribed minimum natural alcoholic strength, in particular in the case of late varieties; whereas in order to prevent wine growers abandoning late varieties which have on average over 10 years produced very good wine, in favour of early varieties which give a wine which is generally less good, the minimum natural alcoholic strength in these regions should be reduced by 0;5 % vol,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Article 7 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No 338/79 shall be replaced by the following:

'2. Except for derogations adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 67 of Regulation (EEC) No 337/79, the alcoholic strengths referred to in paragraph 1 may not be less than:

6;5 % vol in Zone A

with the exception of the specified regions "Mosel-Saar-Ruwer", "Ahr", "Mittelrhein" and "Moselle luxembourgeoise" in which the said alcoholic strength shall be 6 %;

7;5 % vol in Zone B;

8;5 % vol in Zone C I a);

9 % vol in Zone C I b);

9;5 % vol in Zone C II;

10 % vol in Zone C III a) and C III b).

The zones referred to in the preceding subparagraph are those defined in Annex IV to Regulation (EEC) No 337/79.'

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

It shall apply from 1 September 1982.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 27 July 1982.

For the Council

The President

O. MOELLER

(1) OJ No C 206, 14. 8. 1981, p. 11.

(2) OJ No C 327, 14. 12. 1981, p. 114.

(3) OJ No C 310, 30. 11. 1981, p. 9.

(4) OJ No L 54, 5. 3. 1979, p. 48.

(5) OJ No L 359, 15. 12. 1981, p. 6.