European Conference of National Associations concerned with wine, spirits, beer and cider

Recommendation 340 (1963)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 14th January 1963 (18th Sitting) (see Doc. 1539, report of the Committee on Agriculture) Text adopted by the Assembly on 14th January 1963 (18th Sitting).

The Assembly,

Notes with satisfaction the results of the European Conference of National Associations concerned with wine, spirits, beer and cider, and the interest aroused in Europe and elsewhere by the efforts now being made to harmonise the various national legislations concerning these products;

Noting the economic importance of the beverages industry and endorsing the principles, formulated by the Committee of Experts, governing the manufacture of highquality products which will not endanger the health of the consumer;

Whereas the experts have been studying this problem for nearly five years and there is an urgent need for a solution in at least some of the sectors concerned, in the general interest as well as in that of the professional associations in each country;

Believing that the meetings of the governmental experts are too infrequent and that their brevity (only three days, on the average, for wine and two and a half days for spirits), in addition to being a considerable burden to the Council of Europe budget, greatly hampers the progress of the work,

Recommends to the Committee of Ministers :

a that it congratulate the experts on the work accomplished by them in this complex field which is recognised by all as being of European and world-wide economic importance;

b that it transmit to the Committee of Experts the conclusions reached by the Conference, asking them to take into account, to the greatest extent practicable, when preparing the final texts, the suggestions and proposals made by the national associations;

c that it invite the experts to speed up their work by holding more frequent and longer sessions in order that the draft Convention, at least in the three similar and mutually complementary sectors of wine, cider and spirits, may be completed by the end of the present year, leaving the beer sector, with its special features, until a later stage.