RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/TBT/W/62
6April 1998
ORGANIZATION
(98-1351)
Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade Original: French
REQUEST FOR OBSERVER STATUS BYTHE INTERNATIONAL
VINE AND WINE OFFICE (IWO)
Thefollowing communication hasbeenreceived fromtheDirector-General oftheInternational
VineandWine Office (IWO) requesting observer status intheWTO Committee onTechnical Barriers
toTrade.
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1. TheIWOisanintergovernmental organization created byanInternational Arrangement signed
inParis on29November 1924. Itisopentoanycountry, andcurrently hasamembership of45wine
producing orconsuming countries which together account formorethan96percentofworld production
andconsumption. Itsspecific sphere ofcompetence isvineproducts, asrecognized bytheFAO in
anAgreement granted inaletter bytheDirector oftheFAO on15December 1948.
2. Withregard totechnical standards concerning vineproducts andtothedefinition ofproducts
andproduction methods, asisitsduty, theIWOalsohasextensive experience indefining theproducts
forwhich itisresponsible. Aslongagoas1928, theIWOrecommended thatonlyproducts obtained
from thealcoholic fermentation offresh grape juiceshould receive thedesignation wine(Resolution
C2/1928).
3. TheInternational Code ofoenological practices contains definitions ofthemany different vine
products withtheirproduction methods, andisthustheappropriate international standard inthisarea.
4. Asregards thedesignation andpresentation ofproducts, theIWO hasalsoadopted an
international wine labelling standard andalabelling standard forspirits concerning mandatory and
optional information.
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Note: Thefollowing information canbeobtained from theSecretariat forinterested delegations:
Annexes: 1. Comex Resolution 1/97
2. Organization Chart oftheIWO
3. Arrangement of29November 1924
4. FAO-IWO Agreement -Extract from IWO Bulletin No.221/July 1949
5. IWO Rules -Chapter XI"Observers"
6. Catalogue ofIWO publications -Standards andCodes