Commission Regulation (EC) No 2120/2004

of 10 December 2004

amending Regulation (EC) No 2729/2000 laying down detailed implementing rules on controls in the wine sector

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine [1], and in particular Article 72(4) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The second subparagraph of Article 11(2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 2729/2000 [2] determines the minimum number of samples to be taken each year for the analytical databank provided for in Article 10 of that Regulation. Following the accession of the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia, the number of samples to be taken for those countries should be determined.

(2) Article 12 determines the number of analyses to be performed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), including analyses of samples from Member states not yet equipped. A transitory period should be laid down to provide for the setting up and the organisation of proficient isotopic laboratories in those Member states.

(3) Annexes I, II and III to Regulation (EC) No 2729/2000 draw up precise instructions for the processing, analysis and reporting of samples. To take account of experience and technical progress, those instructions should be updated.

(4) Regulation (EC) No 2729/2000 should be amended accordingly.

(5) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Wine,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 2729/2000 is amended as follows:

1. In Article 11(2), the second subparagraph is replaced by the following:

"The number of samples to be taken each year for the databank shall be at least:

- 20 samples in the Czech Republic,

- 200 samples in Germany,

- 50 samples in Greece,

- 200 samples in Spain,

- 400 samples in France,

- 400 samples in Italy,

- 10 samples in Cyprus,

- 4 samples in Luxembourg,

- 50 samples in Hungary,

- 4 samples in Malta,

- 50 samples in Austria,

- 50 samples in Portugal,

- 20 samples in Slovenia,

- 15 samples in Slovakia,

- 4 samples in the United Kingdom"

.

2. In Article 12(1), the first sentence is replaced by the following:

"For a period ending on 31 July 2008, pending the setting up of the adequate analytical equipment, wine-producing Member States not equipped to carry out isotopic analysis shall send their wine samples to the JRC for analysis."

3. Annex I is replaced by the text in Annex I to this Regulation.

4. Annex II is replaced by the text in Annex II to this Regulation.

5. Annex III is replaced by the text in Annex III to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 10 December 2004.

For the Commission

Mariann Fischer Boel

Member of the Commission

--------------------------------------------------

[1] OJ L 179, 14.7.1999, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1795/2003 (OJ L 262, 14.10.2003, p. 13).

[2] OJ L 316, 15.12.2000, p. 16.

--------------------------------------------------

+++++ ANNEX 1 +++++
+++++ ANNEX 2 +++++
+++++ ANNEX 3 +++++