Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine

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Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine

I (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 36 and 37 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 ),

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (4 ),

Whereas:

(1) the operation and development of the common market in agricultural products should be accompanied by the establishment of a common agricultural policy to include in particular a common organisation of agricultural markets which may take various forms depending on the product;

(2) the aim of the common agricultural policy is to attain the objectives set out in Article 33 of the Treaty and in particular, in the wine sector, to stabilise markets and ensure a fair standard of living for the agricultural community concerned; these objectives may be attained by adjusting resources to needs, in particular through the pursuit of a policy for the adaptation of winegrowing potential and a quality policy;

(3) the existing framework of the common organisation of the market in wine was established by Regulation (CEE) No 822/87 (5 ), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1627/98 (6 ); in the light of experience it would be appropriate to replace it in order to address the current situation in the wine sector, which is typified by the fact that, while structural surpluses are less frequent, surpluses on a multiannual basis are still possible, however, in particular owing to the sector's inherent potential for dramatic fluctuations in production from one harvest to the next;

(4) the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreements in 1995 has resulted both in a more open Community market in which traditional intervention measures have now lost much of their potential impact, and in less scope for subsidised exports, which means that Community producers need to improve their competitive performance; the majority of exports are already being effected without subsidy;

(5) the most significant market problem currently facing certain parts of the Community wine sector is their limited ability to adapt sufficiently rapidly to competitive changes on both the internal and external market; the existing common organisation of the market has failed to offer solutions for wine-growing areas where production is clearly unable to find a remunerative market; there has been insufficient flexibility for those areas with expanding markets to allow scope for development;

(6) in 1994 the Commission presented a proposal for the reform of the common organisation of the market in wine which was not, however, adopted; the market situation has changed since that proposal was made;

(7) there should therefore be a reform of the common organisation of the market in wine to guarantee the necessary flexibility to adapt smoothly to new developments with the following broad aims:

maintaining improved balance between supply and demand on the Community market; enabling the sector (1) OJ C 271, 31.8.1998, p. 21.

(2 ) Opinion delivered on 6 May 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(3) OJ C 101, 12.4.1999, p. 60.

(4) OJ C 93, 6.4.1999, p. 1.

(5 ) OJ L 84, 27.3.1987, p. 1. (6 ) OJ L 210, 28.7.1998, p. 8.

14.7.1999 L 179/1Official Journal of the European CommunitiesEN to become more competitive in the longer term;

eliminating the availablility of intervention as an artificial outlet for surplus production; supporting the wine market and hence facilitating the continuation of supplies of wine distillates to those parts of the potable alcohol sector which traditionally use that alcohol;

accommodating regional diversity; and formalising the potential role of producer organisations and sectoral organisations;

(8) Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 was supplemented and implemented by Regulations (EEC) No 346/79 (1 ), (EEC) No 351/79 (2 ), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1029/91 (3 ), (EEC) No 460/79 (4 ), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3805/85 (5 ), (EEC) No 465/80 (6 ), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1597/83 (7 ), (EEC) No 457/80 (8 ), (EEC) No 458/80 (9 ), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 596/91 (10 ), (EEC) No 1873/84 (11 ), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2612/97 (12 ), (EEC) No 895/85 (13 ), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3768/85 (14 ), (EEC) No 823/87(15 ), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No1426/96(16 ), (EEC) No 1442/88 (17 ), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 859/199(18 ), (EEC) No 3877/88 (19 ), (EEC) No 4252/88 (20 ), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1629/98 (21 ), (EEC) No 2046/89 (22 ), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2468/96 (23 ), (EEC) No 2048/89 (24 ), (EEC) No 2389/89 (25 ), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2...

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