Brussels, 21/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 20 November, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new agreement between the EU and Australia on the sales of wine. Once approved by the member states of the EU, the new agreement, which will replace the 1994 agreement, will oblige Australia to phase out the use of certain denominations of wines of the European Community. The compromise between the parties on trade in wine was initialled on 5 June 2007 (EUROPE 9440).
According to the Commission, negotiations led to well-balanced results, which were clear improvements on the 1995 agreement, to the benefit of both parties. Amongst other things, “ex officio” protection of the geographical indications of both sides has been provided for, and Australia has agreed to phase out the use of the following major appellations belonging to the European Union: Burgundy, Chablis, Champagne, Graves, Manzanilla, Marsala, Moselle, Port, Sauterne, Sherry and White Burgundy. Australia will have 12 months starting from the entry into force of this agreement to put an end to the use of these denominations. For the denomination Tokay, Australia must cease to use this denomination within 10 months of the entry into force of the agreement.
The agreement will help to “safeguard” the Community wine labelling regime, the Commission explains. Amongst other things, it provides for: - the establishment of a list of optional indications authorised for Australian wines; - regulation on wine varieties on labels; - the removal, within one year of the entry into force of this new agreement, of the use of “Hermitage” (as a synonym for the name of the “Shiraz” variety) and “Lambrusco” on the labels of wines originating from Australia.
The agreement also provides for the protection, in Australia, of the traditional terms of the European Community (such as Grand cru, sur lie, Château, Noble and Lacrima). The use of some of these terms for Australian products will be phased out within one year of the entry into force of the agreement. In return, the use of a limited number of other terms will be authorised for Australian products (Cream, Ruby, Solera, Tawny, Vintage), subject to certain clearly established conditions regarding production methods.
The agreement aims to improve the regime of wine-making practices, by setting in place clearly established timeframes, opposition and arbitration proceedings, and better-defined criteria for the assessment of new practices, including sanitary and phyto-sanitary requirements. Australia will benefit from simplified attestation proceedings, in line with the provisions of Community legislation.
After the verification procedure, it was decided that a limited number of commercial names could still be used on the territory of the parties, as long as the consumer is not misled as to the real origin of the wines in question. This procedure of verification of registered trademarks and geographical indications was the subject of an agreement by exchange of letters, which has been annexed to the new agreement. The annexes listing the geographical indications to be protected under the new agreement will, therefore, be updated, on the basis of the results of the above-mentioned checks, by means of adding new geographical indications.
In 2006, exports of wine from the EU to Australia were worth €62 million and EU imports of wine from Australia €868 million. (L.C.)