The Wine Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

Accreditation as an organiser of an organoleptic assessment panel

6.—(1) Any application for accreditation as an organiser of an organoleptic assessment panel must be made to the Department and must specify—

(a)the criteria the applicant will use in selecting panel members;

(b)the method of organoleptic assessment that the panel will use to determine whether wine submitted to it is of a satisfactory standard for regional wine; and

(c)the basis on which that determination will be made.

(2) The Department must grant accreditation on being satisfied that—

(a)the applicant is a fit and proper person to appoint such a panel;

(b)the criteria that the applicant will use in selecting panel members will result in persons with a wide variety of interests in wine and the wine industry (which may include consumers of wine) being selected as members of the panel;

(c)the method of organoleptic assessment is satisfactory; and

(d)the basis on which a determination will be made by a panel as to whether the wine is of a satisfactory organoleptic standard for a regional wine is a satisfactory basis for making such a determination.

(3) The Department must notify the applicant within fourteen days of reaching the decision to accept or refuse the application.

(4) Where the application is refused, the notification must include the reason.

(5) The accreditation may be time-limited.

(6) An accredited organiser must select panel members in accordance with the criteria specified in the application and must require any panel to use the methods specified in the application.

(7) The Department may cancel the accreditation of an organiser of an organoleptic assessment panel if that person ceases to be a fit and proper person to organise a panel or has failed to comply with the requirements of paragraph (6).

(8) When an accreditation is cancelled the Department must serve on the organiser concerned notice of—

(a)the decision;

(b)the reason for the decision; and

(c)the date when the cancellation takes effect.

(9) An accredited organiser may resign at any time.

(10) If an accreditation is cancelled, or an accredited organiser resigns, the panel appointed by that person is dissolved from the date of the cancellation or resignation.