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 Article 53 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Commission Regulation (EC) No 753/2002(2) needs to be adapted in order to take into account various technical changes which may have a trade impact, such as the list of vine varieties and their synonyms that include a geographical indication and the list of traditional terms. Account should also be taken of new accessions to WTO.
(2) The tolerances concerning the analysis of the actual alcoholic strength should be carried out taking into account the specificity of certain wines. In order to be accurate, the list of the wines concerned should be more precise.
(3) The provision relating to the communication by Member States of the measures referred to in Article 19(3) of Regulation (EC) No 753/2002 is now outdated. For the sake of clarity it should be removed.
(4) In case of a traditional practice governed by special provisions of the producer Member State, that Member State may, by way of derogation from the normal rule, by means of express authorisation and subject to suitable controls, permit that a quality wine psr be obtained by adding to the basic product from which the wine is made one or more wine-sector products which do not originate in the specified region whose name the wine bears. In order to ensure that economic operators and competent authorities are not prejudiced by the expiration of this derogation provided for in Article 31(3) of Regulation (EC) No 753/2002, a new extension should be granted.
(5) Regulation (EC) No 753/2002 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Wine,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
OJ L 179, 14.7.1999, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1428/2004 (OJ L 263, 10.8.2004, p. 7).
OJ L 118, 4.5.2002, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1991/2004 (OJ L 344, 20.11.2004, p. 9).