L 210/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 28.7.98 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1627/98 of 20 July 1998 amending Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 on the common organisation of the market in wine THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas all new planting of vines is prohibited until 31 August 1998; whereas, in view of the situation on the wine market, this prohibition should be extended until 31 August 2000, pending Council decisions on reform of the sector; whereas, on the one hand, Member States need a further marketing year in which to implement the provi- sion adopted in 1996 permitting the authorisation of new planting on areas intended for the production of certain wines; whereas, on the other hand, in order to enable the production potential of certain wines to be adapted to increasing market demand, it is advisable to authorise again, for two marketing years, Member States to grant rights for new plantings, within well-defined limits and subject to conditions which avoid all risk of increase in potential for wines for which no adequate outlet can be guaranteed; Whereas, to take account of the special conditions in which table wines are produced in Spain, temporary derogations should be laid down concerning blending of wines in that Member State; Whereas, as a temporary derogation, the total acidity of table wines should be confirmed at a lower level, for certain Member States, to take account of trends in this respect; Whereas, pending Council decisions on reform of the sector and in order to avoid any legal hiatus, certain provisions referred to in Article 39 of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 (*), should be extended for a further wine year; Whereas Article 46(4) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 provides that campaigns to promote the consumption of grape juice may be conducted only until the 1997/98 wine year; whereas they should be continued for one wine year so that their effectiveness may be assessed; () OJ C 87, 23. 3. 1998, p. 13. () OJ C 210, 6. 7. 1998. ¢) OJ C 214, 10. 7. 1998. () OJ L 84, 27. 3. 1987, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2087/97 (OJ L 292, 25. 10. 1997, p. 1). Whereas Article 65(5) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 provides that, during the 1997/1998 wine year, the Commission is to submit to the Council a report on maximum sulphur dioxide levels in wine and any proposals arising therefrom; whereas the significance for the sector of the sulphur dioxide problem calls for proposals taking account in particular of the work of the International Vine and Wine Office (IWO); whereas that time limit should therefore be deferred by one wine year, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 is amended as follows: 1. in Article 6(1): — in the first subparagraph ‘31 August 1998’ shall be replaced by ‘31 August 2000’ — in the third subparagraph ‘and/or 1998/99’ shall be added after ‘1997/98’, — the following subparagraphs shall be added after the third subparagraph: ‘Authorisations for new plantings may also be granted by Member States during the 1998/99 and 1999/2000 wine years. These authorisations may not exceed, per Member State, the following limits for these two years taken together: Germany 289 ha Greece 208 ha Spain 3615 ha France 2 584 ha Italy 2442 ha Luxembourg 4 ha Austria 139 ha Portugal 719 ha. These authorisations may not be granted: — to wine from specified areas which have been the subject, over the last three wine years, of permanent abandonment premiums provided for by Regulation (EEC) No 1442/88;