(1)

Point A.3 of Part I of Annex VIII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 provides that Member States may request that the limits for increasing the alcoholic strength (enrichment) of wine by volume be raised by up to 0,5 % in years in which climatic conditions have been exceptionally unfavourable.

(2)

Germany and Hungary have requested such increases of the limits for enrichment of the wine produced using the grapes harvested in the year 2016, as climatic conditions during the growing season have been exceptionally unfavourable. Such request has been made by Hungary for all its wine-growing regions. Germany requested the increase of enrichment only for wine made from red wine grape varieties for the regions of Baden Ahr, Mittelrhein, Mosel, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheinhessen and Württemberg.

(3)

Due to the exceptionally adverse weather conditions during 2016, the limits on increases in the natural alcoholic strength provided for in point A.2 of Part I of Annex VIII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 do not enable the production of wine with an appropriate total alcoholic strength from all or certain grape varieties in certain wine-growing regions for which there would normally be market demand.

(4)

It is therefore appropriate to authorise an increase of the limits for the enrichment of wine produced using all or certain varieties of wine grapes harvested in 2016 in wine growing regions in Hungary and Germany.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets,

(a)

3,5 % vol. in wine-growing zone A referred to in appendix I to Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013;

(b)

2,5 % vol. in wine-growing zone B referred to in appendix I to Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013;

(c)

2,0 % vol. in wine-growing zone C referred to in appendix I to Annex VII to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.