Brussels, 02/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - After the favourable vote by the competent management committee, the European Commission will formally adopt a new regulation in the next few days, which will update the labelling rules for certain wines (in force since May 2002), to take account of concerns expressed by third countries within a WTO framework. The new rules, which aim essentially to give greater flexibility to third countries for wine labelling, enter into force with retro-active effect on 1 February, but Community operators will have a transitional period until 15 March to familiarise themselves with the new rules.
Italy voted against the text in the management committee, and on Saturday Coldiretti expressed its alarm for denominations, which, it said, will be "denuded" of seventeen "great Italian names" following the changes to the rules. Amongst others, it quoted Amarone, Brunello, Morellino, Falerno, Lacryma Cristi, Recioto, Gutturnio, Torcolato, Vino Nobile, Vinsanto... In a press release, Coldiretti said "the way is clear for Brunello to be sold be Argentinean producers, Amarone by South Africans, for New Zealand Morellino, Australian Vinsanto, Chilean Recioto and Gutturnio Made in USA". With the regulation due to be adopted in the next few days, the "denominations" which formerly protected these wines will not longer be reserved for them (as they will no longer be reserved "in absolute terms" for the other countries of the European Union), as they "can now be used for wines produced by third countries, as long as they fulfil certain criteria". This choice, the Italian agricultural organisation notes, is "justified by the will to promote agreement on international trade, but which could break the link between the products and the territory which represents the real added value of Italian and European viti-viniculture". This is "a gift to international vinopiracy", claims Coldiretti, which notes that "in the United States alone, the market for wines imitating Made in Italy is almost equal to that of our exports". The most imitated, notes the press release, are Chianti, Lambrusco, Marsala and Grappa.