Spirit Drinks EU Legislative Framework AGRI.C.2 - Wine, Spirits, Horticultural Products, Specialised Crops Brussels, 19 March 2014 Screening - Serbia
Legislative Framework Lex Specialis: Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of spirit drinks Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 716/2013 laying down rules for the application of Regulation(EC) No 110/2008 Lex Generalis: Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules 1
Regulation (EC) N 110/2008 Structure of the text 4 main chapters: 3 Annexes: ❶ Scope, definition and categories of Spirit Drinks ❷ Description, presentation and Labelling of Spirit Drinks ❸ Geographical Indications ❹ General, transitional and final provisions I. Technical definitions and requirements II. Categories of Spirit Drinks III.List of Geographical Indications 2
Definitions Spirit Drink (Art. 2)= an alcoholic beverage: intended for human consumption possessing particular organoleptic qualities having a min. alc. strength of 15 % vol. having been produced: (i) either directly by: distillation of fermented products, and/or maceration or similar processing of plant materials, and/or addition of flavourings, sugars or other sweetening products and/or other agricultural products and/or foodstuffs to ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin and/or to distillates of agricultural origin and/or to spirit drinks, (ii) or by mixture of a spirit drink with one or more: other spirit drinks, and/or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin or distillates of agricultural origin, and/or other alcoholic beverages, and/or drinks. Technical definitions (Annex I) Ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin Distillate of agricultural origin Sweetening Mixing Addition of alcohol Blending Maturation or ageing Flavouring Colouring Alcoholic strength by volume Volatile substances content Place of manufacture Description Presentation Labelling Packaging 3
Categories of Spirit Drinks Classification of spirit drinks into 46 categories, according to defined criteria: Categories 1-14 Categories 15-46 Other spirit drinks 4
Classification of Spirit Drinks Categories 1-14 Features: Produced by the alcoholic fermentation and distillation exclusively obtained from the raw material provided for in the relevant definition No addition of alcohol of agricultural origin No added flavouring substances Only added caramel as a means to adapt colour Are sweetened solely to round off the final taste of the product Categories 1-14 (Annex II) 1. Rum 2. Whisky or whiskey 3. Grain spirit 4. Wine spirit 5. Brandy or Weinbrand 6. Grape marc spirit or grape marc 7. Fruit marc spirit 8. Raisin spirit or raisin brandy 9. Fruit spirit 10. Cider spirit and perry spirit 11. Honey spirit 12. Hefebrand or lees spirit 13. Bierbrand ou eau-de-vie de bière 14. Topinambur or Jerusalem artichoke spirit 5
Classification of Spirit Drinks Features: Categories 15-46 Obtained from any agricultural raw material May have addition of alcohol of agricultural origin Contain natural or nature-identical flavouring substances May contain colouring May be sweetened to correspond to particular product characteristics 6 Categories 15-46 (Annex II) 15. Vodka 16. Spirit (preceded by the name of the fruit or berry) obtained by maceration and distillation 17. Geist (with the name of the fruit or the raw material used) 18. Gentiane 19. Gentian 20. Juniper-flavoured spirit drinks 21. Distilled Gin 22. London gin 23. Caraway-flavoured spirit drinks 24. Akvavit ou aquavit 25. Aniseed-flavoured spirit drinks 26. Pastis 27. Pastis de Marseille 28. Anis 29. Distilled Anis 30. Bitter-tasting spirit drinks or bitter 31. Flavoured Vodka 32. Liqueur 33. Crème de (followed by the name of a fruit or the raw material used) 34. Crème de cassis 35. Guignolet 36. Punch au rhum 37. Sloe gin 38. Sambuca 39. Maraschino, marrasquino or maraskino 40. Nocino 41. Egg liqueur or advocaat or avocat or advokat 42. Liqueur with egg 43. Mistrà 44. Väkevä glögi or spritglögg 45. Berenburg or Beerenburg 46. Honey or mead nectar
Classification of Spirit Drinks Other Spirit Drinks Features: Obtained from any agricultural raw material listed in Annex I to the Treaty and/or foodstuff suitable for human consumption May have addition of alcohol of agricultural origin May contain one or more flavourings May contain colouring May be sweetened to correspond to particular product characteristics «Other spirit drinks» have to bear the sales denomination «spirit drink» 7
Description, Presentation and Labelling of Spirit Drinks Specific rules on: Sales denomination Use of compound terms Use of allusions Labelling of mixtures Use of languages Other specific rules for spirit drinks (specification of age, indication of the raw material used, use of certain terms) 8
Geographical Indications (GIs) Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 lays down: Definition of GIs Protection, Registration and Cancellation of GIs Homonymous GIs Established GIs Alteration of the technical file Verification of compliance with specifications in the technical file Relation between trade marks and GIs Regulation (EU) No 716/2013 sets out: Procedures regarding registration of GIs (examination of applications, objections to the registration, decisions on protection), cancellation of GIs and amendments of the technical file The use of a Union symbol for registered GIs of spirit drinks 9
Next step Proposal of Alignment of Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 to the Lisbon Treaty Thank You 10