THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007, and in particular Article 91 point (c) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
Commission Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 sets out the maximum permissible total sulphur dioxide content of wine. Point A(4) of Annex I B provides that the Commission may decide that Member States concerned may authorise an increase of a maximum of 50 milligrams per litre in the maximum total sulphur dioxide levels of less than 300 milligrams per litre, where climate conditions make this necessary.
(2)
On 1 December 2014, the competent German authorities sent an official request to increase the maximum permissible total sulphur dioxide content of wine of less than 300 milligrams per litre by a maximum of 50 milligrams per litre for wine produced from grapes harvested in 2014 in the wine-growing areas of the German Länder ‘Baden-Württemberg’, ‘Bavaria’, ‘Hessen’ and ‘Rhineland Palatinate’.
(3)
The technical note provided by the competent German authorities indicates that the climate conditions, in particular a warm and humid weather during harvest, have fostered the development of pests producing pyruvate, acetaldehyde and alpha-ketoglutaric acid. These substances bind to sulphur dioxide and reduce its preservative action. Therefore, the total quantities of sulphur dioxide needed to ensure the proper vinification and proper preservation are higher in wine produced from those grapes. The temporary authorisation referred to in Point A(4) of Annex I B to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 is therefore the only available option to allow the grapes affected by these unfavourable weather conditions to be used to produce wine suitable for placing on the market.
(4)
Regulation (EC) No 606/2009 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(5)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: