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"Community provision" means any provision of any Regulation of the European Communities which is referred to in Schedule 1, or of the Treaties relating to the accession to the European Communities, respectively, of the Hellenic Republic signed at Athens on 28th May 1979[3], of the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic signed, respectively, at Madrid and Lisbon on 12th June 1985[4], and of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Republic of Austria and the Republic of Finland signed respectively at Stockholm, Vienna and Helsinki on 24th June 1994[5], and where any such provision has been adapted by the European Economic Area Agreement, includes the adaptation to it effected thereby;

"controlled wine-sector product" means any wine-sector product the movement of which is for the time being prohibited pursuant to regulation 8;

"the Department" means the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development;

"enforcement authority" means - 

(a) in relation to any part of England and Northern Ireland, the Commissioners or the Wine Standards Board;

(b) in relation to England, the Minister;

(c) in relation to Northern Ireland, the Department;

(d) in relation to the area of a local authority, the local authority;

"the European Economic Area Agreement" has the same meaning as has "the Agreement" in section 6(1) of the European Economic Area Act 1993[6];

"examination" means microbiological examination;

"food analyst" and "food examiner" mean, in relation to England, a person who is a food analyst or a food examiner, as the case may be, for the purposes of section 30 of the Food Safety Act 1990[7] and, in relation to Northern Ireland, a person who is a food analyst or a food examiner, as the case may be, for the purposes of articles 30 or 31 of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991[8];

"local authority" means - 

(i) as respects England, an authority (other than the council of a non-metropolitan district) which is a food authority for the purposes of the Food Safety Act 1990;

(ii) as respects Northern Ireland, a district council;

"manufacturing" means using wine or other wine-sector products, for the purpose of a trade or business (other than a catering business), in the composition, manufacture or preparation of any product;

"the Minister" means the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food;

"quality wines psr" has the meaning assigned to it by Article 54 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine[9];

"relevant Community provision" means any Community provision referred to in column 1 or column 2 of Schedule 2 to these Regulations, the subject matter of which is described in column 3 thereof;

"retail sale" means any sale to a person buying otherwise than for the purpose of resale but does not include a sale to a caterer in the course of his catering business or to a manufacturer in the course of his manufacturing business;

"third country" means any country or territory not forming part of the United Kingdom;

"specified regions" means English Vineyards as defined in regulation 13;

"the Wine Standards Board" means the Wine Standards Board of The Vintners' Company.

    (2) Other expressions used in these Regulations have, in so far as the context admits, the same meanings as in Council Regulation (EC) No. 1493/1999 and, in relation to aromatized wines, in Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1601/91, as amended, laying down general rules on the description and presentation of aromatized wines, aromatized wine-based drinks and aromatized wine-product cocktails[10].

    (3) In these Regulations any reference to a numbered regulation or Schedule shall be construed as a reference to the regulation or Schedule so numbered in these Regulations.

    (4) The Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1996[11], the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) (Amendment) Regulations 1997[12], the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) (Amendment) Regulations 1998[13] and the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) (Amendment) Regulations 1999[14] are hereby revoked in so far as they apply to England and to Northern Ireland.

    (5) In the application of Part III of these Regulations, Schedule 3 (in so far as it relates to vine varieties for providing quality wines psr), and Schedules 4 and 5, that Part and those Schedules shall be read in relation to any wine produced - 

(a) from grapes harvested before 1st September 1993, as if their contents were identical to those of the corresponding Part of, and Schedules to, the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1993[15];

(b) from grapes harvested on or after 1st September 1993 and before 1st September 1994, as if their contents were identical to those of the corresponding Part of, and Schedules to, the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1994[16];

(c) from grapes harvested on or after 1st September 1994 and before 1st September 1995, as if their contents were identical to those of the corresponding Part of, and Schedules to, the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1995[17];

(d) from grapes harvested on or after 1st September 1995 and before 1st September 1999, as if their contents were identical to those of the corresponding Part of, and Schedules to, the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1996.

    (4) Subject to point A, paragraph 2, of Annex VII to the said Council Regulation (EC) No. 1493/1999, no geographical indication other than the name of a geographical unit as specified in this regulation shall be used on the labelling or advertising of a table wine produced in any part of England or Northern Ireland.

Powers of authorised officers
     7.  - (1) An authorised officer may, on producing, if so required, some duly authenticated document showing his authority, at any reasonable time enter any land or vehicle (other than any land or a vehicle used solely as a dwelling), for the purpose of ascertaining whether any offence under these Regulations has been or is being committed or whether any offence under the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1993, 1994, 1995 or 1996 has been committed.

    (2) An authorised officer who has entered any land or vehicle in accordance with paragraph (1) above may, for the purpose specified in that paragraph or for the purpose of securing evidence of any such offence which he has reason to believe is or may be being, or has been or may have been, committed - 

(a) inspect any materials or articles found in or on that land or vehicle;

(b) subject to paragraph (5) below, examine any register, record or appropriate document - 


(i) which any person is required to keep under any relevant Community provision, or

(ii) which is in the possession or under the control of any person,



and may take copies of any such register, record or document, or of any entry in any such register, record or document and where any such register, record or document is kept by means of a computer, have access to, and inspect the operation of, any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is or has been in use in connection with that register, record or document and require such register, record, document or entry to be produced in a form in which it may be taken away;

(c) subject to paragraph (5) below, seize and retain any such register, record, document or entry which he has reason to believe may be required as evidence in proceedings under these Regulations;

(d) undertake an inventory of products and of anything which may be used in the preparation of products; and

(e) purchase or take samples of any product and of anything which may be used for the preparation of any product.

    (3) An authorised officer who has procured a sample of any product may analyse or examine that sample or have that sample analysed or examined.

    (4) An authorised officer entering any land or vehicle by virtue of this regulation may take with him such other persons as he considers necessary.

    (5) An authorised officer shall not be entitled under paragraph (2)(b) or (c) above to examine, copy, seize or retain any record or document so far as - 

(a) it is in England and comprises - 


(i) an item subject to legal privilege within the meaning of section 10 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984[20],

(ii) excluded material within the meaning of section 11 of that Act, or

(iii) special procedure material within the meaning of section 14 of that Act, or



(b) it is in Northern Ireland and comprises - 



(i) an item subject to legal privilege within the meaning of article 12 of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989[21],

(ii) excluded material within the meaning of article 13 of that Order, or

(iii) special procedure material within the meaning of article 16 of that Order.

Control on movement
     8.  - (1) Where an authorised officer inspects any wine-sector product he may prohibit its being moved if he has reason to believe that an offence has been, is being or is likely to be committed in respect of it by contravention of, or failure to comply with, any relevant Community provision referred to in columns 1 or 2 of Part I, II, III, V or IX of Schedule 2 and that there is or is likely to be a risk to public health in relation to that product or there has been or is likely to be any fraudulent treatment of that product.

    (2) An officer who exercises the power conferred by paragraph (1) above shall, without delay, give to the person who appears to him to be in charge of the wine-sector product concerned notice in writing - 

(a) specifying the wine-sector product in relation to which the power has been exercised;

(b) stating that the wine-sector product may not be moved without the written consent of an authorised officer;

(c) specifying the relevant Community provision in respect of which he has reason to believe that an offence has been, is being or is likely to be committed; and

(d) specifying whether he considers that it would be practicable for steps to be taken to persuade him that he no longer has reason for that belief and, if so, what those steps should be.

    (3) Where a notice described in paragraph (2) above is given by an authorised officer of the Wine Standards Board that notice shall also contain information of the recipient's right, conferred by regulation 10, to have the giving of that notice reviewed, and as to how that right may be exercised, and of the effect of exercising that right.

    (4) If the person to whom the officer gives the notice does not appear to him to be the owner of the wine-sector product concerned or an agent, contractor or employee of the owner, the officer shall use his best endeavours to bring the contents of the notice additionally to the attention of such a person as soon as possible.

    (5) An authorised officer may affix to any wine-sector product in relation to which the power conferred by paragraph (1) above has been exercised, or to any container in which the wine-sector product is packed, labels warning of the exercise of the power.

    (6) An authorised officer who is satisfied that the steps specified in the notice under paragraph 2(d) above have been taken shall thereupon remove the prohibition on movement imposed pursuant to paragraph (1) above.

Consent to movement
     9.  - (1) An authorised officer may, at any time, give written consent to the movement of a controlled wine-sector product.

    (2) An authorised officer shall, upon request, give written consent to the movement of a controlled wine-sector product if he, or another authorised officer, has been given a written undertaking to the effect that - 

(a) the wine-sector product will be moved to a place approved by an authorised officer; and

(b) the wine-sector product will not be moved from that place without the written consent of an authorised officer.

    (3) A consent given by an authorised officer under this regulation shall - 

(a) specify the wine-sector product to which it relates; and

(b) state that the wine-sector product continues to be controlled.

    (4) An authorised officer of the Wine Standards Board who has been requested to give a consent under this regulation, and who refuses to do so, shall communicate that refusal in writing together with written notice of the right, conferred by regulation 10, to have that refusal reviewed, and an explanation as to how that right may be exercised and the effect of exercising that right.

Review of prohibitions etc. on movement of wine-sector products
     10.  - (1) This regulation applies where an authorised officer of the Wine Standards Board - 

(a) has given to a person who appears to him to be in charge of a wine-sector product a notice under regulation 8(2); or

(b) has refused to give consent to the movement of a controlled wine-sector product under regulation 9.

    (2) A person to whom the notice or refusal has been given may make a written request to the Chief Executive of the Wine Standards Board for him to review the giving of the notice or refusal.

    (3) Where a request for the review of a notice or refusal is received by the Chief Executive of the Wine Standards Board he shall review the notice or refusal and communicate his decision on the review within fourteen days from his receipt of the request.

    (4) Where a person is dissatisfied with the decision of the Chief Executive of the Wine Standards Board on a review, he may make a written request to the Chairman of the Wine Standards Board for a further review by the Wine Standards Board of the giving of the notice or refusal.

    (5) On such a request the Wine Standards Board shall, if satisfied that the decision of the authorised officer to give the notice or refuse consent was not justified, cause the notice to be withdrawn or, as the case may be, give consent to the movement of the controlled wine-sector product concerned.

    (6) The procedure and quorum for a meeting of the Wine Standards Board considering a request under this regulation shall be such as it determines.

Authorised officer acting in good faith
     11.  - (1) An authorised officer shall not be personally liable in respect of any act done in the execution or purported execution of these Regulations and within the scope of his employment, if - 

(a) in relation to an act done by him, he did that act in the honest belief that these Regulations required or empowered him to do it, and

(b) in relation to an act of a person accompanying him and acting under his instructions, he honestly believed that these Regulations empowered him to instruct that person to do it.

    (2) A person accompanying an authorised officer shall not be personally liable in respect of any act done by him in the execution or purported execution of these Regulations, if - 

(a) he did that act on the instructions of the authorised officer, and

(b) he honestly believed that these Regulations empowered the authorised officer to give him those instructions.

    (3) Nothing in paragraph (1) above shall be construed as relieving an enforcement authority from any liability in respect of the acts of its authorised officers.

    (4) Where an action has been brought against an authorised officer in respect of an act done by him in the execution or purported execution of these Regulations and the circumstances are such that he is not legally entitled to require the enforcement authority to indemnify him, the authority may, nevertheless, indemnify him against the whole or part of any damages and costs, if that authority is satisfied that he honestly believed the act complained of was within the scope of his employment and that his duty under these Regulations required or entitled him to do it.

Power to require analysis or examination
     12.  - (1) The court before which any proceedings are brought for an offence under these Regulations may, if it thinks fit for the purposes of the proceedings, cause any article which is the subject of the proceedings, and, if it has already been analysed or examined, is capable of being further analysed or examined, to be sent to a food analyst or food examiner, who shall make such analysis or examination as is appropriate and transmit to the court a certificate of the result thereof, and the costs of the analysis or examination shall be paid by the prosecutor or the person charged as the court may order.

    (2) If in a case in which an appeal is brought no action has been taken under paragraph (1) of this regulation as respects a particular article, the provisions thereof shall apply as respects that article in relation to the court by which the appeal is heard.

    (3) Any certificate of the results of an analysis or examination, which, in the course of proceedings is transmitted by a food analyst or food examiner under this regulation, shall be signed by that food analyst or food examiner, but the analysis or examination may be made by any person acting under the direction of the person by whom the certificate is signed.

    (4) In any proceedings under these Regulations, the transmission to the court under this regulation or production by one of the parties - 

(a) of a document purporting to be a certificate given by a food analyst or food examiner; or

(b) of a document supplied to him by the other party as being a copy of such a certificate,

shall be sufficient evidence of the facts stated in it unless any party to the proceedings requires that the person by whom the certificate is signed be called as a witness.

Designation of competent body
     18. For the purposes of Article 56 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1493/1999, as read with Articles 10 and 12 of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1607/2000 laying down detailed rules for implementing Regulation (EC) No. 1493/1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine, in particular the Title relating to quality wine produced in specified regions[22], the Wine Standards Board is hereby designated as the competent body, referred to in those Articles, in England and Northern Ireland.

he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

Movement of a controlled wine-sector product
     20.  - (1) Any person who, knowing a wine-sector product to be a controlled wine-sector product - 

(a) moves it, or

(b) causes it to be moved,

without the written consent of an authorised officer shall be guilty of an offence.

    (2) Any person who, knowing a wine-sector product to be a controlled wine-sector product - 

(a) removes from it, or

(b) causes to be removed from it,

a label which has been affixed under regulation 8(5) shall be guilty of an offence.

    (3) Any person who fails to comply with an undertaking given by him for the purposes of regulation 9(2) shall be guilty of an offence.

    (4) It shall be a defence for a person charged with any offence under this regulation to prove that - 

(a) when the power conferred by regulation 8(1) was exercised, no offence had been, was being or was likely to be committed in respect of the wine-sector product concerned; and

(b) there was a reasonable excuse for the act or omission in respect of which he is charged.

    (5) A person guilty of an offence under this regulation shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

Obstruction
     21. Any person who - 

(a) intentionally obstructs an authorised officer acting in the execution of these Regulations; or

(b) fails to give to any such officer any assistance or information or to provide any facilities which that officer may reasonably require of him for the purposes of his functions under these Regulations,

shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

Offences by officers of bodies corporate
     22.  - (1) Where an offence under these Regulations which has been committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or be attributable to any neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or a similar officer of the body corporate, or any person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, he as well as the body corporate shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

    (2) Where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, the provisions of paragraph (1) above shall apply in relation to the acts and defaults of a member in connection with his functions of management as if he were a director of the body corporate.

Defence of due diligence
     23. In any proceedings for an offence under regulation 19 or 21(b) it shall be a defence for the person charged to prove that he took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence by himself or by a person under his control.

Offences under the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1993, 1994, 1995 or 1996
     24. Where an offence under any of the Common Agricultural Policy (Wine) Regulations 1993, 1994, 1995 or 1996 has been committed, it shall, notwithstanding the revocation of those Regulations, be punishable in accordance with the terms of those Regulations.


Joyce Quin
Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

2nd March 2001

[2] 1972 c. 68; the enabling powers conferred by section 2(2) were extended by virtue of section 1 of the European Economic Area Act 1993 (c. 51).back

[3] OJ No. L291, 19.11.79, p. 17.back

[4] OJ No. L302, 15.11.85, p. 23.back

[5] OJ No. C241, 29.8.94, p. 1; the amendments made by Council Decision No. 95/1 are not relevant to these Regulations.back

[6] 1993 c. 51.back

[7] 1990 c. 16.back

[8] S.I. 1991/762 (N.I. 7).back

[9] OJ No. L179, 14.7.1999, p. 1.back

[10] OJ No. L149, 14.6.91, p. 1, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No. 2061/96 of the European Parliament and the Council (OJ No. L277, 30.10.96, p. 1).back

[11] S.I. 1996/696.back

[12] S.I. 1997/542.back

[13] S.I. 1998/453.back

[14] S.I. 1999/482.back

[15] S.I. 1993/517, amended by S.I. 1993/3071 and revoked by S.I. 1994/674.back

[16] S.I. 1994/674, revoked by S.I. 1995/615.back

[17] S.I. 1995/615, revoked by S.I. 1996/696.back

[18] OJ No. L309, 8.11.90, p. 1, as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2770/98 (OJ No. L346, 22.12.98, p. 25); the amendments are not relevant to Article 14(7)(b) of the Regulation.back

[19] OJ No. L143, 16.6.2000, p. 1.back

[20] 1984 c. 60.back

[21] S.I. 1989/1341 (N.I. 12).back

[22] OJ No. L185, 25.7.2000, p. 17.back

[23] See also the Agreement on the European Economic Area, Protocols 1 (OJ No. L1, 3.1.94, p. 37) and 47 (OJ No. LI, 3.1.94, p. 210).back

 © Crown copyright 2001