Brussels, 21/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the EU Council of Ministers adopted, without debate, the decisions concerning the conclusion of agreements between the European Community and South Africa on the subject of the wine and spirits trade. Both agreements were initialled on 30 November last. These agreements provide for strengthened protection of the Community appellations of origin compared to the protection applied at multilateral level (TRIPs) and exclusive protection of Community wines such as "Champagne", "Chianti", "Mosel", "Port" and "Sherry". Concerning "Port" and "Sherry", South Africa will not be able to use these names for its own wines after the transitional twelve-year periods on its market, and five years on the export markets (these transitional periods began on 1 January 2000). Regarding mutual acceptance of wine making practices, South Africa will authorise marketing on its territory of Community wines that are the subject of specific practices (such as enrichment) or wines that have a specific analytical composition (for example, late picking or quality wines from "botrysé" picking.
The Council also adopted two decisions on provisional application, from 28 January next, of the two above-mentioned agreements, and a regulation concerning the adjustment of the quota for wine: the new annual volume of customs franchise quotas for South African wines imported in bottles will be 420 000 hectolitres (instead of 320,000 hl).