Question by Astrid Lulling (PPE) on the production of organic wine

Question by Astrid Lulling (PPE) to the Commission on Supplementing of implementing provisions relating to Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 with regard to the production of organic wine

Date published: march 1 2010

Please note that the question below will be answered by the European commission in writing within the next six weeks.

In order to promote organic wine growing in the EU, legally binding provisions on the production of organic wine are indispensable. In the latest working document on the implementing provisions relating to Regulation (EC) No 834/2007[1] with regard to the production of organic wine, the Commission takes account to a large extent of the interests of organic wine growing in Europe.

It is necessary to ensure that production of organic wine is possible in every wine growing region, in every year (even under extreme weather conditions), with every approved grape variety and in every organisational structure (family firm, winery or cooperative).

Sulphurisation of wine must be limited as far as is necessary to protect consumers. However, calling for low limits in no way helps to protect health. On the contrary, inadequate sulphurisation can favour the formation of substances which may be harmful to health such as biogenic amines.

In order to achieve the same quality and storability, organic and conventional wines are sulphurised in the same way. Lower limits could give consumers the false impression that organic wines contain less sulphur dioxide than normal wines. If organic wines contain less sulphur dioxide, they lose their freshness and storability earlier, which means a clear market disadvantage.

There are no alternatives to sulphurisation. Even if wine growers use all of the possibilities at their disposal, unfavourable weather conditions in particular can lead to even the general maximum limits not being sufficient for the stabilisation of wines. For organic wine growers, a possible aggravating factor may be that a number of methods and treatment agents which can contribute under certain circumstances to reducing sulphurisation are to be prohibited for the production of organic wine.

With regard to the limits proposed by the Commission for total sulphur dioxide content of organic wines, the Commission's approach is unclear, as no objective justification is given.

- What reasons does the Commission give for limits for total sulphur dioxide content of organic wines which are significantly below the general limits (Annex IB to Regulation (EC) No 606/2009[2] )?

- How does the Commission intend to ensure that the competitiveness of successful businesses is not reduced by limits that - from an oenological point of view - are too low, in order to prevent distortion of competition in the organic wine sector?

- How does the Commission intend to ensure that the quality and storability of organic wines are not reduced by limits that - from an oenological point of view - are too low, in order to prevent the reputation of organic wine from being damaged?