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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/4

18 February 2003

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No.57/2003

European Union (EU)* :Regulation on the Description, Designation, Presentation and Protection of Wine Sector Products

The European Commission (EC) has adopted a Commission Regulation (EC) No. 753/2002 (the Regulation) for implementing the provisions of the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 with regard to the description, designation, presentation and protection of certain wine sector products.

DETAILS

  1. The Regulation and its corresponding amendment (at Attachment I and II (pdf format) respectively) aim at protecting the legitimate interests of consumers and producers, ensuring the smooth operation of the internal market and promoting the production of quality products. Wine sector products imported into the Community are also subject to the rules stipulated in the Regulation. Salient points of the Regulation are summarised below:

    1. the Regulation sets out the labelling rules on certain wine sector products. In general, certain compulsory particulars should be grouped in the same visual field on the container and presented in easily readable, indelible characters large enough to stand out well against the ground on which they are printed and clearly distinguishable from all other content of the label. Actual alcoholic strength by volume should be indicated in percentage units or half units and should be shown on the label in characters of specific size according to the nominal volume;
       

    2. the use of lead-based capsules or foil to cover the closing devices for certain wine sector products will be banned in order to avoid any risk of contamination;
       

    3. to ensure the traceability and control of wine sector products, certain particulars on the labels should be repeated in registers, accompanying documents and relevant commercial documents as appropriate; and
       

    4. depending on the type of products involved and whether they are imported, additional labelling rules may need to be complied with.

  2. The provisions of the Regulation shall apply in full from 1 August 2003. As transitional measures, wine sector products, with description and presentation no longer conform to the legislative requirements as a result of the entry into force of the Regulation, may be held for sale, put into circulation and exported until stocks are exhausted.

ENQUIRIES

  1. For enquiries about the contents of this Circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5684.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Sandra SOU)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* : The EU member states are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.



  • While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.