2025/1244

20.6.2025

COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2025/1244

of 19 June 2025

establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union with regard to certain resolutions to be voted at the 23rd General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 43, in conjunction with Article 218(9) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) will examine and possibly adopt certain resolutions (the ‘draft OIV resolutions’) at its next General Assembly to be held on 20 June 2025. The draft OIV resolutions, if adopted, will have legal effects within the meaning of Article 218(9) of the Treaty.

(2) The Union is not a member of the OIV. However, on 20 October 2017, the OIV granted to the Union the particular status provided for in Article 4 of the Rules of Procedure of the OIV.

(3) Twenty Member States of the Union are also members of the OIV. Those Member States have the possibility to propose amendments to the draft OIV resolutions, and will be asked to adopt the draft OIV resolutions at the next OIV General Assembly.

(4) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on behalf of the Union at the OIV meetings with regard to the draft OIV resolutions in relation to matters within its competence. That position should be expressed at the OIV meetings by the Member States which are also members of the OIV, acting jointly in the interest of the Union.

(5) Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934 (2), certain resolutions adopted and published by the OIV will have legal effects.

(6) Article 80(3), point (a), of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 provides that the Commission, when authorising oenological practices, is to take into account the oenological practices and methods of analysis recommended and published by the OIV.

(7) Article 80(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 provides that the Commission, when laying down methods of analysis for determining the composition of the products of the wine sector, is to base those methods on any relevant methods recommended and published by the OIV unless they would be ineffective or inappropriate in view of the objective pursued by the Union.

(8) Article 90(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 provides that products of the wine sector imported into the Union are to be produced in accordance with oenological practices authorised by the Union pursuant to that Regulation or, prior to that authorisation, produced in accordance with oenological practices recommended and published by the OIV.

(9) Article 9(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934 provides that, where the purity and identification specifications of substances used in oenological practices are not laid down by the Commission, the specifications are to be those referred to in column 4 of Table 2 of Part A of Annex I to that Regulation, which refer to OIV recommendations.

(10) Draft OIV Resolutions OENO-MICRO 22-713A and OENO-MICRO 22-713B propose a new method for yeast cell counting in musts, wines and yeast cultures. Draft OIV Resolution OENO-MICRO 23-739 validates a standard protocol to evaluate the fermentation properties of

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

. In accordance with Article 80(3), point (a), of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, those resolutions, if adopted, will have legal effects.

(11) Draft OIV Resolution OENO-TECHNO 14-540B establishes specific oenological practices for partially de-alcoholised wines. Draft OIV Resolution OENO-TECHNO 23-730 introduces a maximum acceptable limit of sorbic acid concentration in wine. Draft OIV Resolution OENO-TECHNO 23-738 introduces a new oenological practice on the use of fumaric acid for the control of the malolactic fermentation in musts. In accordance with Article 80(3), point (a), and Article 90(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, these resolutions, if adopted, will have legal effects.

(12) Draft OIV Resolutions OENO-SPECIF 21-691 and OENO-SPECIF 23-728 concern methods for the determination of isotopic ratios of tartaric acid and chitosan, respectively. In accordance with Article 80(3), point (a) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, and with Article 9 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934, these resolutions, if adopted, will have legal effects.

(13) The draft OIV resolutions, which have been extensively discussed by scientific and technical experts of the wine sector, should contribute to the international harmonisation of the wine standards and will set a framework which will ensure fair competition in the trading of products of the wine sector. They should, therefore, be supported.

(14) Another draft OIV resolution producing, if adopted, legal effects on Union law which was submitted for adoption by the General Assembly is Draft OIV Resolution OENO-TECHNO 14-540A, which establishes specific oenological practices for de-alcoholised wines, including the addition of glycerol (E 422) at a maximum total concentration of 50 g/L. The allowed maximum level has been proposed based on insufficient scientific evidence regarding the effects on the product and on consumer health. This draft OIV resolution should, therefore, not be supported until a proper assessment is made, in particular on safe maximum levels of glycerol (E 422) for the product category de-alcoholised wine. In addition, the section on ‘Sweetening’, in particular the definition ‘Addition of sweeteners to de-alcoholised wine’, should be interpreted as limited to the products listed in ‘Prescription’; the same should be noted in relation to Draft OIV Resolution OENO-TECHNO 14-540B.

(15) In order to allow for the necessary flexibility during the negotiations ahead of the next OIV General Assembly to be held on 20 June 2025, Member States which are also members of the OIV should be authorised to agree to technical changes to the draft OIV resolutions provided that such changes do not alter the substance thereof,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The position to be taken on behalf of the Union at the 23rd General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), to be held on 20 June 2025, is set out in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

The position referred to in Article 1 shall be expressed by the Member States of the Union which are also members of the OIV, acting jointly in the interest of the Union.

Article 3

1. Where the position referred to in Article 1 is likely to be affected by new scientific or technical information presented before or during the OIV meetings, Member States which are also members of the OIV shall request that the voting in the OIV General Assembly be postponed until the position of the Union is established on the basis of the new information.

2. Following coordination and without further decision of the Council establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the Union, the Member States which are also members of the OIV, acting jointly in the interest of the Union, may agree to technical changes to the draft OIV resolutions referred to in the Annex to this Decision which do not alter the substance thereof.

Article 4

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Luxembourg, 19 June 2025.

For the Council

The President

A. DZIEMIANOWICZ-BĄK

(1) Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (

OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671

, ELI:

http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/oj

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934 of 12 March 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards wine-growing areas where the alcoholic strength may be increased, authorised oenological practices and restrictions applicable to the production and conservation of grapevine products, the minimum percentage of alcohol for by-products and their disposal, and publication of OIV files (

OJ L 149, 7.6.2019, p. 1

, ELI:

http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/934/oj

ANNEX

The Member States of the Union that are Members of the International Organisation for Vine and Wine (OIV) acting jointly on behalf of the Union, and subject to any future review on the basis of new developments, shall support the following draft resolutions at step 7 during the OIV General Assembly scheduled for 20 June 2025:

— OENO-MICRO 22-713A: Yeast cell counting using flow cytometry in grape musts and wines;

— OENO-MICRO 22-713B: Yeast cell counting using flow cytometry in yeast cultures;

— OENO-MICRO 23-739: Validation of a standard protocol to evaluate the fermentation properties of

S. cerevisiae

strains;

— OENO-TECHNO 14-540B: Specific oenological practices for partially de-alcoholised wine, subject to the understanding that the section on ‘Sweetening’ and in particular the Definition ‘

Addition of sweeteners to de-alcoholised wine

’ should be interpreted as limited to the products listed in ‘

Prescription’

;

— OENO-TECHNO 23-730: Limit of sorbic acid in wine;

— OENO-TECHNO 23-738: Treatment of musts with fumaric acid for microbiological control;

— OENO-SPECIF 21-691: Determination of tartaric acid (L+) isotopic ratios

C and

O by isotope ratio mass spectrometry;

— OENO-SPECIF 23-728: Determination of chitosan isotopic ratios

C and

N by isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

The Member States of the Union that are Members of the International Organisation for Vine and Wine (OIV) acting jointly on behalf of the Union, and subject to any future review on the basis of new developments, shall not support the following draft resolution at step 7 during the OIV General Assembly scheduled for 20 June 2025:

— OENO-TECHNO 14-540A: Specific oenological practices for de-alcoholised wine.

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1244/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)