About WWTG and Participation

A group of government and industry representatives with a mutual interest in facilitating international trade in wine.

The WWTG typically meets twice a year with one annual meeting held by the rotating Chair and a second meeting often held in a non-member country. Non-member countries and industry organizations are encouraged to participate in the meetings as Observers.

Contact Casey Fitzpatrick to learn more about the benefits of joining the Mutual Acceptance Agreement or if you would like to learn more about the WWTG’s work.

Current Members

• Argentina*
• Australia*
• Canada*
• Chile*
• New Zealand*
• Republic of Georgia
• South Africa*
• United States of America*
• Uruguay

*Founding member

The WWTG has adopted the following guidelines for government participation:

1. The World Wine Trade Group

The World Wine Trade Group (WWTG, “the Group”) is a group of government representatives with a mutual interest in facilitating the international trade in wine and avoiding the application of obstacles to international trade in wine.

The WWTG welcomes and encourages participation in the Group of any national governments or members of the World Trade Organisation interested in furthering these goals.

Any potential participant wishing to take part in a WWTG meeting may express an interest to the host of the next meeting. The host will communicate this interest to the founding participants and other Parties to any Agreements adopted under the auspices of the WWTG who, through consensus, may take any appropriate decision about the nature and form of participation by the interested applicant in the WWTG.

2. Negotiations towards WWTG Agreements

When the WWTG decides to negotiate an Agreement on a particular subject matter it should do so initially on the basis of generally agreed principles and objectives for the proposed agreement. For example, the decision to negotiate towards a labeling agreement has been based on general acceptance by WWTG participants of the principles identified in the Sonoma industry statement.

Such principles will guide the Group in its negotiations and provide a reference point for considering progress towards attaining the goal(s) envisaged for the agreement.

Accordingly, negotiations toward an agreement on any particular subject matter should be open to those participants in the WWTG that believe they can proceed to conclude an agreement on the basis of the identified principles and objectives.

3. Parties to WWTG Agreements

The operation of agreements concluded under the auspices of the WWTG is independent of the workings of the WWTG. For example, the Council of the Parties established under the Agreement on Mutual Acceptance of Oenological Practices exists for the purposes of that Agreement. The Council operates in accordance with its own rules of procedure, independent of the workings of the WWTG.

PDF Guidelines in English PDF Guidelines in Spanish

Annex to the WWTG Guidlines on Participation: Outlining the Process for Accession to the WWTG

Adopted April 11, 2014

• The candidate country firstly provides information to all WWTG participant countries¹ (Participants) on its policies, laws and regulations concerning oenological practices. This information is provided to the WWTG Chair and distributed to Participants via the electronic depositary. WWTG Participants have the opportunity to put questions to the candidate country relating to this information and to seek more detail as appropriate. This is a two-way process and the candidate can ask existing Participants how they have adjusted policies, laws and regulations in order to conform to the WWTG Agreements. This process concludes when all WWTG Participants have given their acceptance of the candidate country’s laws, regulations, and requirements relating to oenological practices.
• Thereafter, the candidate country confirms in writing to the WWTG Chair, its willingness to adhere formally to the 2001 WWTG Agreement on Mutual Acceptance of Oenological Practices (2001 Agreement). The Participants will encourage candidate countries to also adhere to the 2007 WWTG Agreement on Requirements for Wine Labelling, together with the 2013 Protocol to the 2007 Agreement, and any other WWTG agreements.
• Unless otherwise agreed by the Participants, once these steps, 1 and 2, are completed, the Participants will invite the candidate country to become a Participant by adhering to the 2001 Agreement by the next annual meeting of the WWTG.

PDF of Annex to the Guidelines for Participation April 2014