Introductory text

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine^f1, and in particular Article 33 thereof,

Whereas:

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1623/2000 of 25 July 2000 laying down detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine with regard to market mechanisms^f2, lays down, among other things, detailed rules for disposing of stocks of alcohol obtained from distillation pursuant to Articles 27, 28 and 30 of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 and held by the intervention agencies.

Public sales of wine alcohol for use in the fuel sector in the Community should be organised in accordance with Articles 92 and 93 of Regulation (EC) No 1623/2000 with a view to reducing Community stocks of wine alcohol and to some extent ensuring supplies to firms approved in accordance with Article 92 of Regulation (EC) No 1623/2000. The wine alcohol of Community origin in storage in the Member States consists of quantities produced from distillation in accordance with Articles 35, 36 and 39 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 of 16 March 1987 on the common organisation of the market in wine^f3, and in accordance with Articles 27, 28 and 30 of Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999.

Since 1 January 1999, in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 2799/98 of 15 December 1998 establishing agrimonetary arrangements for the euro^f4, the selling price and securities must be expressed, and payments made, in euro.

Given that there are risks of fraud by substitution of alcohol, checks on the final destination of the alcohol should be reinforced and the intervention agencies should be allowed to call on the help of international control agencies and to check the alcohol sold by means of nuclear magnetic resonance analyses.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Wine,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: