The Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1994

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, which apply throughout the United Kingdom and come into force on 1st April 1994, provide for the enforcement of EC Regulations (as specified in Schedules 1 and 2) concerned with the production and marketing of wine and related products. They revoke and re-enact with amendments the provisions of the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1993 (S.I.1993/517), as amended by S.I.1993/3071.

In addition to drafting amendments, the Regulations make the following changes of substance—

(a) the grounds on which an authorised officer is empowered to control the movement of a wine-sector product are extended to the case where the authorised officer has reason to believe that an offence is likely to be committed in respect of it (regulation 9(1));

(b) the specification of regions for quality wine purposes is, except in relation to wine produced from grapes harvested before 1st September 1993, changed from Southern Counties and Northern Counties to English Vineyards and Welsh Vineyards (regulation 14, as read with regulation 2(5)); and

(c) the option of describing a quality wine psr produced in a specified region in the United Kingdom as a wine of designated origin ceases to be available (regulation 2(4), insofar as it revokes regulation 20 of the previous regulations).

The Regulations—

(i) designate competent authorities and a liaison authority for the purposes of enforcement (regulation 3);

(ii) define “medium dry” for the purposes of labelling and description (regulation 4);

(iii) specify conditions for the use of geographical ascriptions for the designation of table wine (regulation 5);

(iv) exempt certain products from provisions relating to information required on labels (regulation 6);

(v) permit the planting for certain purposes of vine varieties whose planting would otherwise be prohibited (regulation 7);

(vi) provide for powers of inspection and enforcement (regulation 8);

(vii) authorise controls on the movement of wine sector products (regulations 9 and 10);

(viii) relieve authorised officers of personal liability for acts done by them in execution of the Regulations (regulation 11);

(ix) confer on courts before which proceedings are brought powers in relation to the analysis and examination of samples (regulation 12);

(x) specify the regions in the United Kingdom for producing quality wines psr (regulation 14);

(xi) specify the list of vine varieties, minimum natural alcoholic strength, maximum yield per hectare and analytical test in the production of quality wine psr and permit the production of such wine in areas of immediate proximity to the specified regions (regulations 15 to 19); and

(xii) prescribe offences and penalties and provide defences (regulations 20 to 24).

The Schedules have been revised and brought up to date so as to include references to relevant Regulations of the European Community which have been adopted since the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1993 came into force and to delete references to Regulations which have been repealed or superseded or have become redundant.

In Schedule 1 each Regulation is given the title which appears in the Official Journal except in cases where the title refers to a Regulation that has been repealed or superseded. In such a case the title given in Schedule 1 refers to the superseding Regulation and the title in the Official Journal is given in a footnote.