30.7.1999 Official Journal of the European Communities L 199/15 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1681/1999 of 26 July 1999 fixing the buying-in prices, aids and certain other amounts applicable for the 1999/2000 wine year to intervention measures in the wine sector THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular Article 149(1) thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 of 16 March 1987 on the common organisation of the market in wine ('), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1677/1999 (3), and in particular Articles 35(8), 36(6), 38(5), 41(10), 44, 45(9) and 46(5) thereof, (1)  Whereas Article 4 of Commission Regulation (EC) No 3299/94 of 21 December 1994 on transitional measures applicable in Austria in the wine-growing sector (}), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 670/95 (%), provides for Title III of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 to apply in its entirety in Austria from the 1995/96 wine year, whereas, however, Austria should, in the interests of administrative clarity, be considered to form part of the wine-growing zone B provided for in Annex IV to Regu- lation (EEC) No 822/87; (2)  Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 1676/1999 (%) fixes the guide prices for wine for the 1999/2000 wine year; whereas the prices, aids and other amounts for the various intervention measures to be adopted for that wine year should accordingly be fixed on that basis; (3)  Whereas this Regulation applies to Austria and Portugal; whereas, however, since wine-growing zones have not been delimited in those countries, the oenological prac- tices authorised in accordance with the rules laid down under Title II of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 should be defined for the 1999/2000 wine year pending the adop- tion of definitive rules; (4) Whereas, since enrichment is an exceptional practice, the same reduction in the buying-in price for wine provided for in Article 44 of Regulation (EEC) No 822/ 87 and laid down in Annex VIII should be applied as in wine growing zone C; whereas, in the light of experience the derogations in force for ‘vinho verde should be extended; () O] L 84, 27.3.1987, p. 1. (3 See page 8. (}) O] L 341, 30.12.1994, p. 37. () O] L 70, 30.3.1995, p. 1. 0) () () () 0] 0] Whereas the aid for the use in wine-making of concen- trated grape must and rectified concentrated grape must as provided for in Article 45(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 must be fixed taking into account the difference between the cost of enrichment achieved using concen- trated grape must and using sucrose; whereas, in the light of the data available to the Commission, the amount of the aid should be varied with the product used for enrichment; Whereas distillers may, in accordance with Articles 35(6) and 36(4) of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87, either receive aid for the product to be distilled or deliver the product obtained from distillation to the intervention agency; whereas the amount of the aid must be fixed on the basis of the criteria laid down in Article 16 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2046/89 (¢), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2468/96 (7); Whereas the price of wine to be distilled under Articles 38 and 41 of Regulation (EEC) No 822/87 does not normally allow the marketing at market prices of prod- ucts obtained from distillation; whereas provision must therefore be made for aid, the amount of which is to be fixed on the basis of the criteria laid down in Article 8 of Regulation (EEC) No 2046/89, account also being taken of the present uncertainty of prices on the market for distillation products; Whereas some wine delivered for one of the distillation operations may be processed into wine fortified for distillation; whereas the amounts applicable to distilla- tion in accordance with the rules laid down in Article 26 of Regulation (EEC) No 2046/89 should be adjusted accordingly; Whereas experience gained in sales by invitation to tender of alcohol held by intervention agencies shows that the difference between prices which may be obtained for neutral spirits and raw alcohol does not justify the takeover of the former; whereas, moreover, quantities of neutral spirits currently available are suffi- cient to satisfy, at least for one wine year, any demand for that product; whereas under these circumstances the possibility provided for in Articles 35, 36 and 39 of Regulation (EEC) No 82287 should be used by producing for the buying in of all alcohol at the price for raw alcohol; L 202, 14.7.1989, p. 14. L 335, 24.12.1996, p. 7.