Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

Ref : EIC 230/4

12 July 2012

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 542/2012

European Union (EU)* : Labelling of Certain Wine Products

Further to Commercial Information Circular No 9/2011 of 4 January 2011, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 607/2009 which lays down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2008 concerning protected designations of origin and geographical indications, traditional terms, labelling and presentation of certain wine sector products. Details are set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 579/2012 (the Regulation), which can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:171:0004:0007:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2. For beverages containing more than 1.2% by volume of alcohol and if they contained ingredients within the meaning of Article 6(4)(a) of Directive 2000/13/EC, the terms concerning sulphites/sulfites, milk and milk-based products and eggs and egg-based products that must be used are listed in the Annex of the Regulation. Details of the amendments made to the Commission Regulation (EC) No 607/2009 are set out in Articles 1 and 2 of the Regulation. The Regulation was entered into force on 3 July 2012 but it only applied to wines made completely or partially from grapes harvested in 2012 or later and labeled after 30 June 2012.

ENQUIRIES

3. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Anita WONG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.