Spanish and EU Regulations

The large number of rules and even laws applicable to the wine industry has in the past led to the need for national Wine Codes. The Treaty of Rome, which established the first European institutions, specifically mentioned wine in its Annex II. Wine was thus included in the Common Agricultural Policy, but this policy was not actually implemented until 1970. The legislation has since evolved in the various Common Market Organisations, which have also been progressively reformed. All this is reflected in the various "basic" and "implementing" regulations that have been adopted over the years. Some aspects of wine law still remain within the purview of the national governments, but, in Spain, they have been fully devolved to the regional Autonomous Communities. All matters concerning Designations of Origin have been developed extensively by the Member States, and parts of this legislation have never been incorporated into European legislation.

We do not aim to provide on this website an exhaustive list of all the legislation applicable to the wine industry in Spain, but merely to list the main European standards and to disseminate information on them through links to other databases offering sufficient guarantees as regards the updating of this information. In Spain, Law 2004/2003, which has played a fundamental role in the development of certain principles, is expected to be amended in the near future.

Spain: Vineyard and Wine Law (pdf in Spanish - 102 KB)

European Union Regulations:Wine Sector