Update of the International Standard for wine labelling: The name and address of the person responsible for prepackages

RESOLUTION OIV-ECO 699-2023

UPDATE OF THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FOR WINE LABELLING: THE NAME AND ADRESS OF THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PREPACKAGES

WARNING: this resolution amends the following resolution:

- AG 5/85 - ECO

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

IN VIEW of the article 2, paragraph 2 iii of the Agreement of 3rd April 2001, establishing the International Organisation of Vine and Wine,

CONSIDERING the decision of Executive Committee of April 2017 regarding the necessity to update the International Standard for Wine Labelling,

CONSIDERING the works conducted by the experts’ group DROCON on revision of the OIV International Standard for labelling of wines,

CONSIDERING the need to avoid possible confusion with an existing Geographical Indication or an Appellation of Origin and to ensure that the information provided to the consumer regarding the address and name of a person responsible for pre-packages is not misleading.

ON THE PROPOSAL of the Commission Economy and Law,

DECIDES to introduce the following modifications to the International Standard for Labelling of wine to modify the Article 2.6 “The name and address of the person responsible for pre-packages” as follows:

Current version

Version after amendments

2.6. The name and address of the person responsible for pre-packages

2.6.1. The name of the person responsible for the pre-packages is either:

the patronymic name of the physical person
the registered name of the company
or the commercial name of the latter

who take the responsibility for the product put in a pre-package by themselves or on their account.

2.6.2. The address of the person responsible for the pre-package bears the name of the place where this was actually processed or carried out, this address being completed, if need be, by that of the pre-packagers' headquarters.

2.6.3. The name and address of the importer can be used in place of those responsible for the pre-packages.

2.6.4. Information about the name of the person responsible, his address, as well as the place the containers were pre-packaged, and those relating to the quality of the pre-packager should not be capable of creating confusion as to the wine's origin nor to the existence and quality of the evoked persons or businesses. To avoid confusion about the wine's origin, it is recommended that the name of the place or person responsible is replaced by a code, when these names constitute an appellation of origin or a geographic indication to which the pre-packaged wine has no right.

2.6.1. [2.6.4 moved and modified] Information about the name of the person responsible, their address, as well as the place the containers were pre-packaged, and those relating to the pre-packager or the importer (as specified in the article 2.6.4) should not be capable of creating confusion as to the wine's origin nor to its quality through the evocation of companies or people . To avoid confusion about the wine's origin, it is recommended that the name of the place or person responsible is replaced by a code, when these names constitute a recognised appellation of origin or a recognised geographic indication to which the pre-packaged wine has no right.

2.6.2. [2.6.1. renumbered] The name of the person responsible for the pre-packages is either:

the patronymic name of the physical person or
the registered name of the company or
the commercial name of the latter

who take the responsibility for the product put in a pre-package by themselves or on their account.

2.6.3. [2.6.2 renumbered] The address of the person responsible for the pre-package bears the name of the place where this was actually processed or carried out, this address being completed, if need be, by that of the pre-packagers' headquarters.

[new paragraph] Where the name and/or the address of the person responsible for the pre-packages are likely to mislead the consumer, it must be replaced by a code with a reference to the member State in question. In this case the name and address of a company responsible for the distribution or marketing of the product should mentioned on the label.

2.6.4. [2.6.3 renumbered] The name and address of the importer may be replaced or supplemented by the name and the address of the blotter if the wine is imported in bulk and bottled in the Member State.

EC 33/2019, article 46

Article 46 Indication of the bottler, producer, importer and vendor

(…

The name and address of the importer shall be preceded by the words ‘importer’ or ‘imported by (…)’. For grapevine products imported in bulk and bottled in the Union, the name of the importer may be replaced or supplemented by the indication of the bottler, in accordance with paragraph 2.
The indications referred to in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 may be grouped together if they concern the same natural or legal person.

One of these indications may be replaced by a code determined by the Member State in which the bottler, producer, importer or vendor has its head office. The code shall be supplemented by a reference to the Member State in question. The name and address of another natural or legal person involved in the commercial distribution other than the bottler, producer, importer or vendor indicated by a code shall also appear on the wine label of the product concerned.

Where the name or the address of the bottler, producer, importer or vendor consists of or contains a protected designation of origin or geographical indication, it shall appear on the label:
1. in characters which are no more than half the size of those used either for the protected designation of origin or geographical indications or for the designation of the category of the grapevine product concerned; or
2. by using a code as provided for in the second subparagraph of paragraph 5.

Member States may decide which option applies to grapevine products produced in their territories.