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United Kingdom
The following information must appear on the label (please note that British English - i.e. colour, not color - must be used on all labeling):
For more information on labeling specific to alcohol beverages, please visit: http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l32005.htm. Wine-Specific Labeling: The following must appear on a label in a single field of vision (i.e. can be viewed without having to turn the bottle), except for the Importer’s details, the Lot number, and allergenic ingredients.
Please note that wine variety and vintage may NOT be shown on labels of wine with non-geographical origin – only wine with a proper geographical indication may display such information. Allergen Labeling for Wine: EU GM (Genetically Modified) Food Labeling: According to Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003, products containing more than 0.9 percent of genetically modified ingredients must be labeled with the following statement: “This product contains genetically modified organisms.” Food products containing or consisting of GMOs, produced from GMOs or containing ingredients produced from GMOs must be labeled in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003. This regulation can be found online at: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_268/l_26820031018en00010023.pdf. Please see USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s GAIN report on “Labeling of Genetically Modified Food Products,” which discusses the two main regulations (Regulations (EC) No. 1829/2003 and (EC) No. 1830/2003) concerning labeling and traceability of GMO’s and foods containing GMO’s, at: Also, visit the GMO section of the U.S. Mission to the European Union’s FAS website at: http://www.useu.be/agri/GMOs.html for up-to-date information on GM regulations and labeling. Annex III of EC Council Directive 75/106/EEC sets out general standards of fill for alcohol beverages, including wine, distilled spirits, and malt beverages (beer). Please note that this Directive does not apply to pre-packages containing the products listed in Annex III:
A chart derived from this Annex with the pertinent alcohol products can be found on our website: OENOLOGICAL PRACTICES (WINEMAKING STANDARDS) On March 10, 2006, the U.S. and EU signed the Agreement between the United States and the European Community on Trade in Wine. The agreement provides for the recognition of each other's existing current winemaking practices, as well as a consultative process for accepting new winemaking practices. As such, the EU must allow entry of U.S. wine products made in accordance with U.S. winemaking standards into the EU. Accepted EU oenological practices and process are outlined in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000. The Regulation also contains a list of restrictions and requirements pertaining to the use of certain substances authorized for oenological purposes.
More information on documentation needed to export to the UK is available on the HM Revenue and Customs website at: http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal? CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) Import Licenses are required for wine imported from “third countries” such as the U.S into any country in the E.U. Such import licenses, often referred to as AGRIM Certificates, are issued in the UK by the Rural Payments Agency. You must also register beforehand with the Rural Payments Agency as an importer if you plan to import goods for which you need a license (i.e. fermented beverages/wine). An “Application for new registration” (form TR1) must be filled out and sent to: Customer Service Centre You will then be granted a reference number, known as a trader registration number, which will be granted in an electronic format. If you plan to use this number throughout other EC countries, you must indicate you wish to be granted a paper permit. When a shipment arrives at the UK location where goods are to be unloaded, the goods must be presented to Customs (HM Revenue and Customs, or HMRC) by the importer. Goods may be presented by two methods (these apply to all other EU countries as well). You must…
All goods must be presented within 3 hours of their arrival at the place of unloading. After having been “presented,” the goods must also be declared through a Summary Declaration containing information needed to identify the goods. The summary declaration should normally be made at the same customs office as presentation. In the UK the approved form of summary declaration is Form C1600. Customs may also accept commercial documents or computer records, if they contain the necessary details. An import declaration is required for goods from third countries such as the U.S. When goods are imported into the UK, it is the responsibility of the importer or his authorized agent to declare them to Customs. A Single Administrative Document or SAD is used for this purpose. In the UK, Form C88 is the approved form for this procedure. Further information on the SAD/Form C88 can be obtained from H.M. Revenue & Customs web site: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk. Also, visit: http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal? In addition to the above paperwork, certain U.S. products (i.e. wine) also require import licenses (mentioned in Licensing, above). Wine-specific Import Requirements: Third Country (i.e. U.S.) wines imported into the European Community must also be accompanied by a VI1 document until such wine is put into free circulation. For more information on the VI1 document, please visit the “VI1 Forms for Exporting Wine to the European Union” section of our Export Documents page. Further information on EU import regulations for wine can be also found on the Wine section of the U.S. Mission to the European Union website. Import duties are linked to the Commodity Code (similar to an HS code, but more detailed) for a particular product. U.S. exporters will need to find out what the Commodity Code for their product is. In order to obtain the Commodity Code for a specific product, contact H.M. Customs & Excise’s Tariff Classification Helpline (Tel: 011 44 1702 366077). This service offers a verbal reading on the appropriate code and respective import duty for a particular product. It is also possible to obtain a written ruling on the product’s Commodity Code known as Binding Tariff Information (BTI). This service is suggested for more complex food products, as it involves closer analysis of the product’s composite ingredients and is legally binding. For the most current tariffs and taxes applied to imported products in the UK, please visit the EU Tariff and Taxation Union:
Most of the information in this guide was obtained from direct contact with various governmental organizations and embassies, as well as online sources. The FAS Attaché reports at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp served as the primary (online) sources used for this report. |
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