Brussels, 11/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - The EU's Wine Management Committee decided on 11 October to allow Hungary to start emergency distillation of its excess wine crop. The regulation still needs approval by the European Commission before it comes into force on 31 October. Like other EU Member States, the wine market in Hungary is facing surplus stocks and resultant slump in prices. Hungary wine producers will be able to use the market control mechanism for up to 400,000 hectolitres (hl) of table wine (at the EU purchase price of 1.914 euros per hl) and 100,000 hl of high quality wine (at the higher purchase price of EUR 2.30). The alcohol thus produced must not be used to produce spirits but should be used by industry or as a biofuel. Hungary is the fifth country this year authorised to use emergency distillation. Emergency distillation has already started in France (1.5 mil hl of high quality wine); Spain (4 mil hl of table wine); Greece (340,000 hl of table wine and 40,000 hl of high quality wine) and Italy (2 million hl of table wine) (see EUROPE 9022, 8969 and 8939).