27. 3. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 84/59 . COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No 823/87 of 16 March 1987 laying down special provisions relating to quality wines produced in specified regions THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1), Whereas the provisions concerning qualtity wines produced in specified regions, hereinafter called ‘quality wines psr’, have been amended a number of times since their consolidation by Council Regulation (EEC) No 338/79 (2), as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 539/87 (3); whereas, by reason of their number and their dispersal among various issues of the Official Journal of the European Communities, the relevant provisions are difficult to use and lack the clarity which should be an essential feature of all legislation; whereas they should therefore be consolidated afresh; Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 of 16 March 1987 on the common organization of the market in wine () provides for a system which, insofar as its scope is not restricted to other products, applies also to quality wines psr; whereas that system embraces in particular certain common rules on production; Whereas, in order to maintain a minimum quality standard for quality wines psr, to avoid an uncontrollable extension of the production of such wines and to harmonize the provisions of the Member States so as to establish conditions of fair competition in the Community, a framework of Community rules should be adopted, governing the production and control of quality wines psr, with which the specific provisions adopted by the Member States must comply; whereas similar rules should also be laid down for quality sparkling wines produced in specified regions, hereinafter callied ‘quality sparkling wines psr’, as referred to in Regulation (EEC) No 358/79 %) () OJ No C 46, 23. 2. 1987. (?) O] No L 54, 5. 3. 1979, p- 48. () OJ No L 55, 25. 2, 1987, p. 6. (*) See p. 1 of this Official Journal. (*) O] No L 54, 5. 3. 1979, p. 150. Whereas the development of a policy of encouraging quality production in agriculture and especially in wine growing is bound to contribute to the improvement of conditions on the market and, as result, to an increase in outlets; whereas the adoption of additional common rules in line with Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 which concern the production and control of quality wines psr falls within the framework of this policy and can contribute towards the attainment of these objectives; Whereas, taking into account traditional conditions of production, the nature and scope of the factors which enable each of the quality wines pst to be distinguished must be listed and defined; whereas a common attempt to harmonize quality requirements must nevertheless be made; Whereas, in order to ensure that quality wines psr keep their particular quality characteristics, the area of production should be demarcated on the basis of natural criteria; whereas there should be clear demarcation so as to enable the quantity of wine available on the market to be better controlled; Whereas the choice of vine variety is a decisive factor for the formation of the particular quality characteristics of each of the quality wines psr; whereas, in order to develop these characteristics, Member States should stipulate what vine varieties are to be grown, drawing up a list of varieties for each of the wines; whereas, having regard to customs in wine-growing, these lists should be restricted to varieties of the species Vitis vinifera in the recommended or authorized categories; whereas provision should be made, however, for a Community procedure for revising the rules for drawing up the lists in question to take account of scientific progress without reducing the quality level of the wines thus obtained; Whereas, in order to ensure that the removal of a vine variety from the categories of recommended or authorized vine varieties does not give rise to a loss in income without a transitional period for producers cultivating such a variety, the grapes obtained from that variety should be allowed to be used for producing a quality wine psr during a given period, provided that such grapes have been used legally for such a purpose before the change in category of the variety in question;