29. 12. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 341/3 COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 3686/84 of 19 December 1984 amending Regulation (EEC) No 358/79 on sparkling wines produced in the Community and‘ defined in point 13 of Annex II to Regulation (EEC) No 337/79 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commis- sion ('), - Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (%), Whereas experience suggests that some amendments should be made to Regulation (EEC) No 358/79 (), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3456/80 (*), in order to take account of technological progress and to ensure consistency between the various provisions on the common organization of the market in wine ; Whereas, so as to provide better information for manufacturers of sparkling wines, for the trade and for consumers, it is necessary to specify that the provisions governing the preparation of quality sparkling wines apply also to quality sparkling wines produced in specified regions ; Whereas the use of modern preparation methods, the fragility of certain wines used in the composition of the cuvée and the quality of production justify shorte- ning the minimum preparation period for quality sparkling wines from nine to six months where the fermentation process designed to make the wines spar- kling takes place in closed tanks; whereas, on the other hand, with the aim of increasing the quality of these sparkling wines, the duration of the fermentation designed to make the cuvée sparkling and the duration of the presence of the cuvée on the lees should be extended ; Whereas, in order to ensure that only traditional prac- tices are used in the preparation of quality sparkling wines of the aromatic type, it is necessary to specify that such sparkling wines may be obtained only from grape musts or partially fermented grape musts obtained from certain varieties; whereas provision should, however, be made that such wines may be obtained from wines coming from grapes of the () OJ No C 182, 9. 7. 1984, p. 7. (®) Opinion delivered on 14 December 1984 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () OJ No L 54, 5. 3. 1979, p. 130. () OJ No L 360, 31. 12. 1980, p. 18. ‘Prosecco’ variety harvested in certain regions of Italy, given that these wines are traditionally used for the production of sparkling wines of the aromatic type ; Whereas, in order to ensure the quality of sparkling wines of the aromatic type, it should be stipulated that the use of traditional practices implies control of the fermentation process by refrigeration or other physical processes, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION : Article 1 Regulation (EEC) No 358/79 is hereby amended as follows : 1. The following paragraph is added to Article 2: ‘The provisions of this Regulation, with the excep- tion of Title II, shall also apply to quality sparkling wines produced in specified regions as defined in - Regulation (EEC) No 338/79, in so far as such provisions are not laid down in the latter Regula- tion. 2. The heading of Title III is amended as follows : ‘TITLE 11 ' Special provisions regarding quality sparkling wines and quality sparkling wines produced in specified regions’ ; 3. Article 17 is replaced by the following : Article 17 1. The duration of the process of making quality sparkling wines and quality sparkling wines produced in specified regions, including ageing in the undertaking where they are made and reckoned from the start of the fermentation process desgined to make the wines sparkling, may not be : (a) less than six months where the fermentation process designed to make the wines sparkling takes place in closed tanks; (b) less than nine months where the fermentation process designed to make the wines sparkling takes place in the bottle. 2. The duration of the fermentation process desgined to make the cuvée sparkling and the dura- tion of the presence of the cuvée on the lees shall not be less than the following periods :