24. 12. 81 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 369/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 3685/81 of 15 December 1981 amending for the fourth time Regulation (EEC) No 355/79 laying down general rules for the description and presentation of wines and grape musts THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 337/79 of 5 February 1979 on the common organiza- tion of the market in wine (!), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 3577/81(?), and in particular Article 54 (1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas Regulation (EEC) No 355/79 (%), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1016/81 (%), laid down general rules for the description and presenta- tion of wines and grape musts ; Whereas, at present, indication of the actual alcoholic strength by volume is optional and has been regulated only for a transitional period, by Regulation (EEC) No 355/79 ; whereas, provision is made in Articles 3 (3), 13 (3) and 30 (4) of that Regulation that the Council should decide not later than 31 August 1981 on the common arrangements regarding the indication of the alcoholic strength by volume of wine to apply after that date ; whereas, moreover, Article 6 (3) of Council Directive 79/112/EEC of 18 December 1979 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate consumer (%) provides that the Council should, before expirv of a period of four years following notification of the Direc- tive, possibly determine the rules for indicating alco- holic strength ; whereas, in order to coordinate applica- (") OJ No L 54, 5. 3. 1979, p. 1. () OJ No L 359, 15. 12. 1981, p. 1. () OF No L 54, 5. 3. 1979, p. 99. () O] No L 103, 15. 4. 1981, p. 7. () O No L 33, 8. 2. 1979, p. 1. tion of these Community provisions and to allow time for more thorough study of the question of the indica- tion of the actual alcoholic strength by volume, the date laid down for the Council Decision should be carried forward two years; Whereas experience has shown that the expression ‘wine from different countries of the European Community’ as a designation for table wines resulting from a coupage of products from various Member States and the expression ‘EEC’ for the designation of table wines which have not been made in the Member State where the grapes used have been harvested is neither easily understood nor appreciated by consumers, in particular in certain Member States; whereas provision should therefore be made for more explicit indications for the designation of these wines ; whereas in order to avoid misleading the consumer on the origin of these wines, provision should be made that these indications, together with the term ‘table wine’ should be translated where necessary and some indications concerning the bottling should be made for these wines with the aid of a code; Whereas in order to respect multi-lingualism in the Community and to ensure full information readily understood by consumers, Member States should be authorized to allow certain indications on labels of wine and grape musts, made in one official language of the Community, to be repeated in another language, provided that use of this language is tradi- tional and customary in the Member State concerned or in part of its territory; Whereas the withdrawal, planned for 31 August 1981, of the possibility to state that a quality wine psr has been bottled in the production area could well weaken the competitive position of some bottlers ; whereas in order to facilitate the transition to the situation resulting from the withdrawal of this possibility, the date referred to in Article 12 (2) (r) of Regulation (EEC) No 355/79 should be carried forward five years ;