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 46(1) and (2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The third subparagraph of Article 42(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 lays down detailed rules on the coupage of white wines and red wines in areas where such a practice was traditional. This practice has now been prohibited in Spain since 1 August 2003. The specific rules applicable to the coupage of such wines in Spain laid down in Article 36 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000(2) are no longer applicable. That Article should therefore be deleted.

(2) Five French table wines with geographical indications and with a total alcoholic strength by volume higher than 15 % vol. and a residual sugar content higher than 45 g/l have recently been designated by the French authorities and for their preservation in good quality conditions require a sulphur dioxide content above the general limit of 260 mg/l but less than 300 mg/l. Those wines should therefore be added to the list under the fifth indent of point (a) of the first paragraph of Annex XII to Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000.

(3) One Italian quality wine psr and two French quality wines psr recently recognised by the French authorities which are made using special methods and have a residual sugar content of more than five grams per litre require, for their preservation in good quality conditions, a sulphur dioxide content above the general limit of 260 mg/l but less than 400 mg/l. The same applies to the Luxembourg quality wines psr for which special production methods have recently been laid down allowing them to be described by the words ‘vendanges tardives’, ‘vin de glace’ or ‘vin de paille’. Those wines should therefore be added to the list of wines with similar characteristics in point (b) of the first paragraph of Annex XII to Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000.

(4) Certain French and Luxembourg quality wines psr and one Spanish quality wine psr, for which special production methods have recently been laid down or amended, are made using special methods and normally have a volatile acid content above the limits laid down in Annex V(B) to Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 but less than 25, 30 or 35 milliequivalents per litre depending on the wine in question. Those wines should therefore be added to the list in Annex XIII to Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000.

(5) Austrian quality wines psr meeting the requirements to be described as ‘Eiswein’ from the 2003 harvest have a volatile acid content above the limits laid down in point (d) of Annex XIII to Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000 but less than 40 milliequivalents per litre, as a result of exceptionally unfavourable weather conditions during the 2003 harvest. These wines from the 2003 vintage should therefore be added to the list in the second indent of point (d) of Annex XIII to that Regulation.

(6) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Wine,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: