Reglamento
Solamente los ganadores de medallas de los concursos vinícolas referenciados en la lista de la DGCCRF (Ministerio de la Economía y de Finanzas) pueden figurar en las etiquetas de los vinos. El Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion está inscrito en esta lista.
ARTICLE 1: PURPOSE
The Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion, hereafter called the Competition, is organised by Armonia, hereafter called the Organiser, located at 331 Chemin de la Croix de Fer, 69400 Limas, France. The Competition is open to all products that comply with applicable French and European regulations, that have obtained a certificate of compliance with organic production methods delivered by a State-approved certifying organisation or are currently in a process of conversion. It is also open to all products in the world that have obtained a certificate of compliance with organic production methods delivered by a certifying organisation in the country of production or are currently in a process of conversion. Each wine must be in conformity with regulations in force in its country of origin. The goal of the Competition is to showcase organic wines or wines in conversion that are of superior quality.
ARTICLE 2: WINES AUTHORISED TO COMPETE
The following wines, from anywhere in the world, whether or not they have a geographical indication, may take part in the Competition: still wines, liqueur wines, sparkling and semi-sparkling wines. All vintages may be entered in the Competition, as long as they are certified organic, or are undergoing conversion, for the vintage presented. Biodynamic wines are of course authorised. The participant pledges on his or her honour that the wines presented are certified organic or are undergoing conversion.
In France the following wines are authorised: AOP, IGP, VDF, sparkling wines, semi-sparkling wines, liqueur wines, etc. With regard to wines having a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication, only those wines that have been the object of a declaration of claim (provided for in articles D. 644-5 and D. 646-6 of the Rural Code and the Code of Maritime Fishing) may participate in the Competition. With regard to wines that do not have a protected geographical indication but are presented with an indication of vintage or grape variety, only those wines whose vintage or grape variety has been certified in conformity with the provisions of article R. 665-24 of the Rural Code and the Code of Maritime Fishing may participate in the Competition.
ARTICLE 3: PROFESSIONALS AUTHORISED TO PRESENT PRODUCTS
The following professionals, hereafter called the Participant(s), are authorised to participate: winemakers, wine cooperatives, associated wine cooperatives, groups of producers, producers, wine merchants and importers.
ARTICLE 4: PRESENTATION OF SAMPLES
Samples may be presented by the owner of the lot or any person duly authorised by the owner. The wine sample presented at the Competition must come from a homogenous lot. The lot is made up of a wine produced for human consumption and stored in individual containers or in bulk. A homogenous lot is defined as a number of sales units of packaged wine or containers of bulk wine that was produced and packaged wine must be packaged under practically identical conditions. The wine in all the sales units or containers must also have similar organoleptic and analytical characteristics.
ARTICLE 5: AVAILABILITY OF WINE
The homogenous lot from which the wine sample presented at the Competition is taken must have had at least 1000 litres of it produced. In the case of particularly low production, however, the lot may be between 100 and 1000 litres.
ARTICLE 6: SENDING SAMPLES
Samples should arrive at the Competition ‘franco domicile’, i.e., with shipping, customs duties and taxes paid by the sender, at the address on the website www.concoursbio.com, hereafter known as the “site”, as well as on the shipping documents. Bottles shall be sent at the Participant’s expense and at his or her own risk. Where applicable, the Organiser will re-invoice participants for any taxes or customs duties they may owe. Upon reception, samples become the property of the Competition. If a sample is sent but has not had its shipping paid for, it will be refused. Samples received that do not correspond to registration information or were not previously registered will not be presented for tasting and will remain the property of the Competition. The Organiser shall not be held responsible in case of theft, loss, delay, or damage to samples during shipping.
Each sample submitted to the Competition should be representative of the lot to which it belongs. If a wine is stored in bulk in various containers, samples should be taken from each and blended to form the final sample submitted to the Competition, with the volumes taken from each container reflecting the percentage of the total stored in that container. Samples may be taken by a representative of the Competition, a third-party company or any duly authorised person. The person taking the sample may be the wine producer or presenter, as long as he or she pledges on his or her honour that the samples are representative of the lot being presented. For each wine registered, 3 samples of 0.5l or 0.75l shall be submitted. Sales labels in conformity with the regulations of the country of production or sale shall be affixed to the sample bottles before they are submitted. In any case, the identifying label should provide the same information and details as those appearing on the wine registration form.
The participant guarantees that he or she has taken all the necessary HACCP measures required to maintain food hygiene and guarantee the safety of products sent to the Competition.
A product with a name considered sexist, racist, discriminatory, or degrading, whether for people, the Competition, or the sector, shall not be allowed to compete and shall not be allowed to use an award even if it was obtained under a different name.
Any attempt to cheat, forge or misrepresent the way the products are presented or to bring the competition, profession or production sector into disrepute, for any reason whatsoever, will be prosecuted in the competent courts.
ARTICLE 7: REGISTRATION RULES
The Participant must provide the information required to open an account. He or she must also complete a registration form, called a product form, for each product submitted. This may be done by post or online.
Registration by post: The completed participant form and wine form should be sent to the following address: Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion - 331 chemin de la Croix de Fer - 69400 LIMAS - France, hereafter known as the "competition's address". Forms are available on the site, or upon request.
Online registration:
a) The Participant must create an account on the site. He or she will then have a personal account that can be used to present products. There is no charge for creating an account.
b) A form must be completed on the site for each wine submitted. This form is available on the site from the Participant’s personal account.
Registration fees must be paid in accordance with provisions laid down in Article 9. Payment methods are also described in detail in Article 9.
The information provided on both forms is legally binding for the person who wrote it.
The following documents must be sent to the address given above in order to register for the Competition:
- an analysis report made within the last year (see article 8) for each wine.
For France:
- the declaration of claim for wines with a protected designation of origin or a protected geographical indication,
- the request for certification for wines that do not have a protected geographical indication but are presented with an indication of vintage or grape variety.
In exceptional cases, if the Participant cannot provide one of the two documents indicated above, the Competition can accept the harvest declaration for AOP and IGP wines, or a bottling declaration indicating the wine.
Participants must indicate if they have any direct or indirect links with a taster on a jury so that the Organiser can take measures to ensure that this taster does not judge the Participant’s products.
ARTICLE 8: ANALYSIS REPORT
The analysis report done in the last year should include information to help identify the sample, along with the following analytical information:
- the actual and potential alcoholic strength by volume at 20° as % vol;
- sugars (glucose + fructose) in g/l;
- total acidity in mEq/l;
- volatile acidity in mEq/l;
- total sulphur dioxide content in mg/l;
- excess pressure from carbon dioxide for sparkling wine in bar;
For a period of one year, the Competition will keep a sample of award-winning wines produced in France, and their analysis reports for auditors to check upon request. The Participant should do the same. The wine form and analysis report will be kept on file and made available to agents responsible for audits for a period of five years from the Competition date.
ARTICLE 9: REGISTRATION FEES
The registration fees are included on the participant form and on the Site. They are given in euros, include all taxes and are the same for all countries.
- For France, payment can be made by cheque to Armonia - Concours International des Produits Biologiques, or by bank transfer or credit card.
- For all other countries, in Europe and elsewhere, payment can be made by bank transfer or credit card.
In accordance with European legislation, services provided in France must include French VAT for 1) Participants located in France, and 2) Participants outside the European Union. Participants from all European Union countries except France will be billed without tax if they have a VAT number.
The choice of payment method for the registration fees is made online on the Participant’s account, after completing the sample registration process. Credit card payments are made on a secure online payment system (Visa, Mastercard).
Payment should be made to the order of Armonia – Concours International des Produits Biologiques.
If registration fees for a product have not been paid, the product will not be allowed to take part in the Competition.
The Competition is not responsible for paying bank fees. Credit cards are charged, and cheques are sent to the bank on the day the registration is done.
Participants shall receive an invoice by email. If the Participant does not have an email account, the invoice will be sent by post, as requested.
Registration fees cannot be reimbursed if, for example, samples or forms arrive after the deadline, if the product does not receive a prize, or if the registration is cancelled for any reason that cannot be attributed to the Competition.
ARTICLE 10: CALENDAR
Opening and closing dates for registration, as well as the deadline for receiving samples, can be obtained from the competition's address by simple request. This information is also available on the Site. Tastings may be scheduled on other dates at other venues in addition to the main date and place indicated on the Site or in documents.
ARTICLE 11: ORGANISATION OF THE COMPETITION
Wines are classified by vintage, designation of origin, department, zone and region of production for French wines, or by country for non-French wines, and by category. A category includes wines with the same characteristics because such wines can be compared. These characteristics may relate to the colour, vintage, type of winemaking, grape variety or varieties and type of ageing (wood or other).
The Competition shall designate the members of each jury and do all in its power (prepare samples, organise the event, etc.) to make sure tastings are carried out properly. With the help of a suitable judging form, the Competition shall guarantee the control, processing and publication of results.
If the number of competitors in a category is less than three when registration has been completed, the category may either be eliminated or combined with another, at the discretion of the Organiser. The samples involved may also be re-registered in a general category.
ARTICLE 11 – bis: FORCE MAJEURE
Force majeure is defined as: an epidemic, fire, natural catastrophe, strike, terrorist act or exceptional circumstances that the Organiser’s cannot control that prevents the Competition from happening as planned.
In such a case the Competition reserves the right to cancel the selection, change the place or dates initially planned, shorten or lengthen the Competition, and/or modify its conditions or execution.
If an edition of the Competition is purely and simply cancelled, or if there are modifications such as those described above, the Participant shall not hold the Competition responsible in any way, and registration fees and samples that have already been sent shall remain the property of the Competition.
The Competition may have to ask for samples to be sent again in such cases.
ARTICLE 12: ANONYMITY OF SAMPLES
Bottles are numbered, uncapped and uncorked, then recorked anonymously and covered with opaque wine socks. The Organiser will take all the necessary measures to ensure that samples submitted for tasting remain entirely anonymous. He or she may proceed to transfer the wine to another container, change or mask the label, or perform any other operation required to ensure the anonymity of samples.
ARTICLE 13: MEANS OF JUDGING
Products are entered in the Competition in the hope of obtaining an award. Products are judged on the basis of their organoleptic qualities, which are evaluated by the jury using a marking scale provided by the Competition. The Organiser alone determines how samples shall be tasted, and shall not be held responsible if a sample does not receive an award. Marks are confidential.
ARTICLE 14: COMPOSITION OF JURIES
Juries are composed of jurors who are designated and called directly by the Organiser from a list of jurors who have voluntarily registered on the Competition’s website.
For each wine category the jury will be composed of at least 3 people. At least two-thirds of the total number of jurors shall be competent tasters.
‘Competent taster’ is defined as a professional in the wine-making sector (oenologists, cellar masters, wine merchants, producers, cellar managers) or distribution (brokers, wholesalers, sommeliers, restaurant owners, importers, retailers) or consumers who are members of wine clubs or have taken courses in wine-tasting.
If one or more members of the jury are absent on the day of the tasting, the Organiser may designate substitute jurors.
Jurors’ names are confidential. Their personal data is not communicated to any third parties.
The Organiser gets jury members to make a solemn declaration indicating any direct or indirect ties they may have with any companies, establishments, professional organisations or associations whose activities, products or interests may be related to wines presented in the Competition. The Organiser has the right to disqualify any juror to avoid having a competitor judge his or her own wines, or for any other reason. He or she is not required to disclose the reason for dismissing the juror.
Legal proceedings may not be brought against Organiser as a result of the choice of tasters. Tasters’ decisions are final and their marks cannot be contested. If, as a result of a taster intentionally or non-intentionally giving a very poor mark to a product, there is an anomaly in results, the Organiser shall be authorised to disqualify the taster’s marks. In this particular case an exception will be made to the requirement that there be at least three jurors; the jury’s marks will in any case be validated.
ARTICLE 15: PRESIDENCY OF JURIES
The commissioner general presides over juries. The jury president, with the help of one or more assessors, makes sure the tasting is carried out properly, and in particular that all samples remain anonymous. He or she shall make sure the marking sheet is used when samples are judged. The president of the juries, in this case the commissioner general, supervises the collection of marking sheets. Juries are placed under his or her responsibility.
ARTICLE 16: DISTINCTIONS
The Competition grants the following awards:
- Gold Medal
- Silver Medal
The number of awards must not surpass one-third of the number of samples presented. The number of distinctions given for a category must not surpass one-third of the number of wines registered.
Participants will be informed of results by letter if and only if their wines are selected for an award. This letter will be the official document for the Competition. As such, it will indicate the name of the Competition, type of distinction awarded, identity of the wine, category in which it was judged, volume declared, and the name and address of the owner.
Medals representing distinctions may only be placed on the bottles or packages of award-winning Products. The number of medals provided will correspond to the volume declared when the wine is registered for the Competition.
The award is bestowed on the lot registered by the Participant. As a result, the brand name can be modified as long as the actual product is the lot initially registered. If a brand was not declared upon registration, only the owner of the lot can request that it be added to the Competition. The new brand name can be used only after the Competition has confirmed its agreement by email.
Prior authorisation must be obtained, and fees paid, before completely or partially reproducing or representing the medal or logo. (See article 19).
The adhesive material used to produce medals can contain metal and non-food compounds. When ordering medals, the participant must inform the Competition of any production constraints with regard to his packaging chains.
If there is a problem with using the adhesive medals issued by the Competition or the printer, the Competition shall not be held responsible for any losses in productivity, given the numerous parameters involved in packaging and in affixing medals.
The Competition or the printer shall, however, do all in its power to replace the rolls of medals with a manufacturing defect.
Information relating to the product and communicated by the Participant at the time of registration (appellation, vintage, grape variety, certification, etc.) may be published (print or digital) and communicated to the public. In the event of an error in publication, no financial compensation will be paid to the Participant.
ARTICLE 17: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Any total or partial reproduction or representation of the medal, logo, name or all or part of the elements found on the website is strictly forbidden unless authorisation has been previously requested and granted. The medal may be reproduced only with prior authorisation, and it may not be modified, changed or adapted in any way.
In general, the company names, brands and distinctive signs reproduced on the site or on other supports diffused and developed by the Competition are protected by copyright.
ARTICLE 18: AUDITS
The Competition reserves the right to cancel any incomplete or erroneous registration and to eliminate any sample that does not comply with the Rules and Regulations or the analysis report submitted. It also reserves the right to have the certified wine analysis laboratory of its choice perform an analytical verification of samples submitted and to take any subsequent steps it deems necessary. The Competition may take samples at sales points to verify that samples tasted correspond to bottles actually found for sale in stores or at the vineyard.
If a sample is not in conformity with the analysis report provided, or with the appellation, origin, or lot that it represents, or if there is any other discrepancy with regard to information given when registering for the Competition, the Participant shall be temporarily or permanently excluded from the Competition and may be required to pay the penalties indicated in article 21 of these Rules and Regulations. The Organiser shall set up an internal control system to guarantee that these Rules and Regulations are applied. The system shall be placed under the responsibility of the commissioner general. The commissioner general shall verify, in particular, that the following are respected: conformity of registration documents, anonymity of wines during tasting, selection of jurors according to criteria set out in article 14, attribution of distinctions in conformity with article 16.
The Participant must, at its own expense, retrieve eliminated samples from the Organiser’s headquarters in the week following notification of their non-conformity with Rules and Regulations. After this one-week period, the Organiser shall have the right to destroy the samples.
ARTICLE 19: USE OF THE ‘Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion‘ BRANDS
Use of the ‘Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion‘ brand name or the logo corresponding to the distinction awarded is restricted to the application of self-sticking medals acquired from the Organiser or the printing of medals on product packaging (labels, collars, bottles, primary or secondary packaging, cartons) after having obtained the corresponding printing rights from the Organiser. Printing rights and self-sticking medals obtained for one wine may not be transferred to other wines.
If printing rights are not paid for then brands or logos are not allowed to be used.
Only printers authorised to do so by the Competition may print medals on product packaging. Any use of the brand name or logo outside the conditions defined in these Rules and Regulations, the graphics charter, or any other document to which it may refer, shall be considered fraudulent.
Penalties provided for in article 21 of these Rules and Regulations shall apply to any printer who prints self-sticking medals or medals with a permit number without authorisation from the Competition, to any awarded producer or third-party who uses medals from a printer that is not authorised by the Organiser or that does not follow the rules of use described in these Rules and Regulations.
For a fee, the Participant may obtain advertising materials made available by the Competition. The Participant may also create its own advertising materials after getting written permission from the Competition. In this case, final proofs must be validated by the Competition before the supports are produced.
ARTICLE 20: OBLIGATION OF PARTICIPANTS AND AVAILABILITY OF THE RULES & REGULATIONS
Participants in the Competition must accept these Rules and Regulations, legal information and the policy for managing personal data that can be obtained from the competition's address by simple request.
ARTICLE 21: PENALTIES
If the medal or any other distinctive sign belonging to the Competition is reproduced and/or used in ways that do not meet the conditions stipulated in these Rules and Regulations, or in any other document or rules to which it refers, the Organiser may apply the following penalties, no matter what the reasons leading up to the infraction noted and without eliminating the possibility of any other appropriate legal steps--particularly if the Participant has acted in bad faith--in order to put a stop to the problem(s) and obtain compensation for the direct or indirect damages suffered:
- immediate payment of all fees due for use of the medal for the entire lot under consideration, with an additional financial penalty of 50% of the sum due, a €5000 fine and payment of all fees (lawyer and independent inspector in particular) incurred by the Organiser,
- immediate suspension of use of the medal until it can be proven that all self-sticking medals and/or medals with permit numbers not yet placed on product(s) have been destroyed,
- immediate removal of all product(s) bearing the medal from all stores and other points where they are sold, at the sole expense of the user who has not applied these Rules and Regulations,
- being banned from the Competition, for up to 10 years,
- being unable to refer to a medal obtained in a preceding edition of the Competition.
Any penalty applied under the conditions of this article cannot in any case lead to indemnification of the Participant, no matter what motives led to the infraction and even if the penalty is later revoked.
In addition, should producer(s) of awarded product(s) learn that a third-party has used the medal fraudulently, they solemnly agree to inform the Organiser of such use.
ARTICLE 22: INFORMATION AND REPORTS TO DREETS
The Competition Organiser shall communicate the date and place of the Competition, along with these Rules and Regulations, to the Direction régionale de l’économie, de l’emploi, du travail et des solidarités (Regional department for the economy, employment, labour and solidarity), or DREETS, of the place where the Competition is held, two months before the competition takes place. A report signed by the commissioner general attesting that the Competition took place in accordance with the provisions of these Rules and Regulations shall be sent to the Direction régionale de l’économie, de l’emploi, du travail et des solidarités (Regional department for the economy, employment, labour and solidarity), or DREETS. This report shall indicate: the number of wines presented to the Competition overall and by category, number of wines given an award overall and by category, list of award-winning wines and, for each, the name of the wine and its owner, percentage of award-winning wines with respect to the number of wines presented, number of distinctions awarded and their distribution by type of distinction.
ARTICLE 23 : GDPR
The information collected while participating in the Competition is required to provide services and manage commercial relations. It is intended for use by the Organiser and the companies involved in providing these services.
The charter on how personal data is managed is available on the Site's legal information.
ARTICLE 24: APPLICABLE LAW - DISPUTES
These Rules and Regulations are subject to French law. The language of the Rules and Regulations is French.
In the case of any dispute or legal action taken against the competition or the organiser, the Tribunaux de Lyon (France) shall be the only competent authority regardless of the nationalities of the parties to the conflict.
ARTICLE 1: PURPOSE
The Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion, hereafter called the Competition, is organised by Armonia, hereafter called the Organiser, located at 331 Chemin de la Croix de Fer, 69400 Limas, France. The Competition is open to all products that comply with applicable French and European regulations, that have obtained a certificate of compliance with organic production methods delivered by a State-approved certifying organisation or are currently in a process of conversion. It is also open to all products in the world that have obtained a certificate of compliance with organic production methods delivered by a certifying organisation in the country of production or are currently in a process of conversion. Each wine must be in conformity with regulations in force in its country of origin. The goal of the Competition is to showcase organic wines or wines in conversion that are of superior quality.
ARTICLE 2: WINES AUTHORISED TO COMPETE
The following wines, from anywhere in the world, whether or not they have a geographical indication, may take part in the Competition: still wines, liqueur wines, sparkling and semi-sparkling wines. All vintages may be entered in the Competition, as long as they are certified organic, or are undergoing conversion, for the vintage presented. Biodynamic wines are of course authorised. The participant pledges on his or her honour that the wines presented are certified organic or are undergoing conversion.
In France the following wines are authorised: AOP, IGP, VDF, sparkling wines, semi-sparkling wines, liqueur wines, etc. With regard to wines having a protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication, only those wines that have been the object of a declaration of claim (provided for in articles D. 644-5 and D. 646-6 of the Rural Code and the Code of Maritime Fishing) may participate in the Competition. With regard to wines that do not have a protected geographical indication but are presented with an indication of vintage or grape variety, only those wines whose vintage or grape variety has been certified in conformity with the provisions of article R. 665-24 of the Rural Code and the Code of Maritime Fishing may participate in the Competition.
ARTICLE 3: PROFESSIONALS AUTHORISED TO PRESENT PRODUCTS
The following professionals, hereafter called the Participant(s), are authorised to participate: winemakers, wine cooperatives, associated wine cooperatives, groups of producers, producers, wine merchants and importers.
ARTICLE 4: PRESENTATION OF SAMPLES
Samples may be presented by the owner of the lot or any person duly authorised by the owner. The wine sample presented at the Competition must come from a homogenous lot. The lot is made up of a wine produced for human consumption and stored in individual containers or in bulk. A homogenous lot is defined as a number of sales units of packaged wine or containers of bulk wine that was produced and packaged wine must be packaged under practically identical conditions. The wine in all the sales units or containers must also have similar organoleptic and analytical characteristics.
ARTICLE 5: AVAILABILITY OF WINE
The homogenous lot from which the wine sample presented at the Competition is taken must have had at least 1000 litres of it produced. In the case of particularly low production, however, the lot may be between 100 and 1000 litres.
ARTICLE 6: SENDING SAMPLES
Samples should arrive at the Competition ‘franco domicile’, i.e., with shipping, customs duties and taxes paid by the sender, at the address on the website www.concoursbio.com, hereafter known as the “site”, as well as on the shipping documents. Bottles shall be sent at the Participant’s expense and at his or her own risk. Where applicable, the Organiser will re-invoice participants for any taxes or customs duties they may owe. Upon reception, samples become the property of the Competition. If a sample is sent but has not had its shipping paid for, it will be refused. Samples received that do not correspond to registration information or were not previously registered will not be presented for tasting and will remain the property of the Competition. The Organiser shall not be held responsible in case of theft, loss, delay, or damage to samples during shipping.
Each sample submitted to the Competition should be representative of the lot to which it belongs. If a wine is stored in bulk in various containers, samples should be taken from each and blended to form the final sample submitted to the Competition, with the volumes taken from each container reflecting the percentage of the total stored in that container. Samples may be taken by a representative of the Competition, a third-party company or any duly authorised person. The person taking the sample may be the wine producer or presenter, as long as he or she pledges on his or her honour that the samples are representative of the lot being presented. For each wine registered, 3 samples of 0.5l or 0.75l shall be submitted. Sales labels in conformity with the regulations of the country of production or sale shall be affixed to the sample bottles before they are submitted. In any case, the identifying label should provide the same information and details as those appearing on the wine registration form.
The participant guarantees that he or she has taken all the necessary HACCP measures required to maintain food hygiene and guarantee the safety of products sent to the Competition.
A product with a name considered sexist, racist, discriminatory, or degrading, whether for people, the Competition, or the sector, shall not be allowed to compete and shall not be allowed to use an award even if it was obtained under a different name.
Any attempt to cheat, forge or misrepresent the way the products are presented or to bring the competition, profession or production sector into disrepute, for any reason whatsoever, will be prosecuted in the competent courts.
ARTICLE 7: REGISTRATION RULES
The Participant must provide the information required to open an account. He or she must also complete a registration form, called a product form, for each product submitted. This may be done by post or online.
Registration by post: The completed participant form and wine form should be sent to the following address: Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion - 331 chemin de la Croix de Fer - 69400 LIMAS - France, hereafter known as the "competition's address". Forms are available on the site, or upon request.
Online registration:
a) The Participant must create an account on the site. He or she will then have a personal account that can be used to present products. There is no charge for creating an account.
b) A form must be completed on the site for each wine submitted. This form is available on the site from the Participant’s personal account.
Registration fees must be paid in accordance with provisions laid down in Article 9. Payment methods are also described in detail in Article 9.
The information provided on both forms is legally binding for the person who wrote it.
The following documents must be sent to the address given above in order to register for the Competition:
- an analysis report made within the last year (see article 8) for each wine.
For France:
- the declaration of claim for wines with a protected designation of origin or a protected geographical indication,
- the request for certification for wines that do not have a protected geographical indication but are presented with an indication of vintage or grape variety.
In exceptional cases, if the Participant cannot provide one of the two documents indicated above, the Competition can accept the harvest declaration for AOP and IGP wines, or a bottling declaration indicating the wine.
Participants must indicate if they have any direct or indirect links with a taster on a jury so that the Organiser can take measures to ensure that this taster does not judge the Participant’s products.
ARTICLE 8: ANALYSIS REPORT
The analysis report done in the last year should include information to help identify the sample, along with the following analytical information:
- the actual and potential alcoholic strength by volume at 20° as % vol;
- sugars (glucose + fructose) in g/l;
- total acidity in mEq/l;
- volatile acidity in mEq/l;
- total sulphur dioxide content in mg/l;
- excess pressure from carbon dioxide for sparkling wine in bar;
For a period of one year, the Competition will keep a sample of award-winning wines produced in France, and their analysis reports for auditors to check upon request. The Participant should do the same. The wine form and analysis report will be kept on file and made available to agents responsible for audits for a period of five years from the Competition date.
ARTICLE 9: REGISTRATION FEES
The registration fees are included on the participant form and on the Site. They are given in euros, include all taxes and are the same for all countries.
- For France, payment can be made by cheque to Armonia - Concours International des Produits Biologiques, or by bank transfer or credit card.
- For all other countries, in Europe and elsewhere, payment can be made by bank transfer or credit card.
In accordance with European legislation, services provided in France must include French VAT for 1) Participants located in France, and 2) Participants outside the European Union. Participants from all European Union countries except France will be billed without tax if they have a VAT number.
The choice of payment method for the registration fees is made online on the Participant’s account, after completing the sample registration process. Credit card payments are made on a secure online payment system (Visa, Mastercard).
Payment should be made to the order of Armonia – Concours International des Produits Biologiques.
If registration fees for a product have not been paid, the product will not be allowed to take part in the Competition.
The Competition is not responsible for paying bank fees. Credit cards are charged, and cheques are sent to the bank on the day the registration is done.
Participants shall receive an invoice by email. If the Participant does not have an email account, the invoice will be sent by post, as requested.
Registration fees cannot be reimbursed if, for example, samples or forms arrive after the deadline, if the product does not receive a prize, or if the registration is cancelled for any reason that cannot be attributed to the Competition.
ARTICLE 10: CALENDAR
Opening and closing dates for registration, as well as the deadline for receiving samples, can be obtained from the competition's address by simple request. This information is also available on the Site. Tastings may be scheduled on other dates at other venues in addition to the main date and place indicated on the Site or in documents.
ARTICLE 11: ORGANISATION OF THE COMPETITION
Wines are classified by vintage, designation of origin, department, zone and region of production for French wines, or by country for non-French wines, and by category. A category includes wines with the same characteristics because such wines can be compared. These characteristics may relate to the colour, vintage, type of winemaking, grape variety or varieties and type of ageing (wood or other).
The Competition shall designate the members of each jury and do all in its power (prepare samples, organise the event, etc.) to make sure tastings are carried out properly. With the help of a suitable judging form, the Competition shall guarantee the control, processing and publication of results.
If the number of competitors in a category is less than three when registration has been completed, the category may either be eliminated or combined with another, at the discretion of the Organiser. The samples involved may also be re-registered in a general category.
ARTICLE 11 – bis: FORCE MAJEURE
Force majeure is defined as: an epidemic, fire, natural catastrophe, strike, terrorist act or exceptional circumstances that the Organiser’s cannot control that prevents the Competition from happening as planned.
In such a case the Competition reserves the right to cancel the selection, change the place or dates initially planned, shorten or lengthen the Competition, and/or modify its conditions or execution.
If an edition of the Competition is purely and simply cancelled, or if there are modifications such as those described above, the Participant shall not hold the Competition responsible in any way, and registration fees and samples that have already been sent shall remain the property of the Competition.
The Competition may have to ask for samples to be sent again in such cases.
ARTICLE 12: ANONYMITY OF SAMPLES
Bottles are numbered, uncapped and uncorked, then recorked anonymously and covered with opaque wine socks. The Organiser will take all the necessary measures to ensure that samples submitted for tasting remain entirely anonymous. He or she may proceed to transfer the wine to another container, change or mask the label, or perform any other operation required to ensure the anonymity of samples.
ARTICLE 13: MEANS OF JUDGING
Products are entered in the Competition in the hope of obtaining an award. Products are judged on the basis of their organoleptic qualities, which are evaluated by the jury using a marking scale provided by the Competition. The Organiser alone determines how samples shall be tasted, and shall not be held responsible if a sample does not receive an award. Marks are confidential.
ARTICLE 14: COMPOSITION OF JURIES
Juries are composed of jurors who are designated and called directly by the Organiser from a list of jurors who have voluntarily registered on the Competition’s website.
For each wine category the jury will be composed of at least 3 people. At least two-thirds of the total number of jurors shall be competent tasters.
‘Competent taster’ is defined as a professional in the wine-making sector (oenologists, cellar masters, wine merchants, producers, cellar managers) or distribution (brokers, wholesalers, sommeliers, restaurant owners, importers, retailers) or consumers who are members of wine clubs or have taken courses in wine-tasting.
If one or more members of the jury are absent on the day of the tasting, the Organiser may designate substitute jurors.
Jurors’ names are confidential. Their personal data is not communicated to any third parties.
The Organiser gets jury members to make a solemn declaration indicating any direct or indirect ties they may have with any companies, establishments, professional organisations or associations whose activities, products or interests may be related to wines presented in the Competition. The Organiser has the right to disqualify any juror to avoid having a competitor judge his or her own wines, or for any other reason. He or she is not required to disclose the reason for dismissing the juror.
Legal proceedings may not be brought against Organiser as a result of the choice of tasters. Tasters’ decisions are final and their marks cannot be contested. If, as a result of a taster intentionally or non-intentionally giving a very poor mark to a product, there is an anomaly in results, the Organiser shall be authorised to disqualify the taster’s marks. In this particular case an exception will be made to the requirement that there be at least three jurors; the jury’s marks will in any case be validated.
ARTICLE 15: PRESIDENCY OF JURIES
The commissioner general presides over juries. The jury president, with the help of one or more assessors, makes sure the tasting is carried out properly, and in particular that all samples remain anonymous. He or she shall make sure the marking sheet is used when samples are judged. The president of the juries, in this case the commissioner general, supervises the collection of marking sheets. Juries are placed under his or her responsibility.
ARTICLE 16: DISTINCTIONS
The Competition grants the following awards:
- Gold Medal
- Silver Medal
The number of awards must not surpass one-third of the number of samples presented. The number of distinctions given for a category must not surpass one-third of the number of wines registered.
Participants will be informed of results by letter if and only if their wines are selected for an award. This letter will be the official document for the Competition. As such, it will indicate the name of the Competition, type of distinction awarded, identity of the wine, category in which it was judged, volume declared, and the name and address of the owner.
Medals representing distinctions may only be placed on the bottles or packages of award-winning Products. The number of medals provided will correspond to the volume declared when the wine is registered for the Competition.
The award is bestowed on the lot registered by the Participant. As a result, the brand name can be modified as long as the actual product is the lot initially registered. If a brand was not declared upon registration, only the owner of the lot can request that it be added to the Competition. The new brand name can be used only after the Competition has confirmed its agreement by email.
Prior authorisation must be obtained, and fees paid, before completely or partially reproducing or representing the medal or logo. (See article 19).
The adhesive material used to produce medals can contain metal and non-food compounds. When ordering medals, the participant must inform the Competition of any production constraints with regard to his packaging chains.
If there is a problem with using the adhesive medals issued by the Competition or the printer, the Competition shall not be held responsible for any losses in productivity, given the numerous parameters involved in packaging and in affixing medals.
The Competition or the printer shall, however, do all in its power to replace the rolls of medals with a manufacturing defect.
Information relating to the product and communicated by the Participant at the time of registration (appellation, vintage, grape variety, certification, etc.) may be published (print or digital) and communicated to the public. In the event of an error in publication, no financial compensation will be paid to the Participant.
ARTICLE 17: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Any total or partial reproduction or representation of the medal, logo, name or all or part of the elements found on the website is strictly forbidden unless authorisation has been previously requested and granted. The medal may be reproduced only with prior authorisation, and it may not be modified, changed or adapted in any way.
In general, the company names, brands and distinctive signs reproduced on the site or on other supports diffused and developed by the Competition are protected by copyright.
ARTICLE 18: AUDITS
The Competition reserves the right to cancel any incomplete or erroneous registration and to eliminate any sample that does not comply with the Rules and Regulations or the analysis report submitted. It also reserves the right to have the certified wine analysis laboratory of its choice perform an analytical verification of samples submitted and to take any subsequent steps it deems necessary. The Competition may take samples at sales points to verify that samples tasted correspond to bottles actually found for sale in stores or at the vineyard.
If a sample is not in conformity with the analysis report provided, or with the appellation, origin, or lot that it represents, or if there is any other discrepancy with regard to information given when registering for the Competition, the Participant shall be temporarily or permanently excluded from the Competition and may be required to pay the penalties indicated in article 21 of these Rules and Regulations. The Organiser shall set up an internal control system to guarantee that these Rules and Regulations are applied. The system shall be placed under the responsibility of the commissioner general. The commissioner general shall verify, in particular, that the following are respected: conformity of registration documents, anonymity of wines during tasting, selection of jurors according to criteria set out in article 14, attribution of distinctions in conformity with article 16.
The Participant must, at its own expense, retrieve eliminated samples from the Organiser’s headquarters in the week following notification of their non-conformity with Rules and Regulations. After this one-week period, the Organiser shall have the right to destroy the samples.
ARTICLE 19: USE OF THE ‘Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion‘ BRANDS
Use of the ‘Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion‘ brand name or the logo corresponding to the distinction awarded is restricted to the application of self-sticking medals acquired from the Organiser or the printing of medals on product packaging (labels, collars, bottles, primary or secondary packaging, cartons) after having obtained the corresponding printing rights from the Organiser. Printing rights and self-sticking medals obtained for one wine may not be transferred to other wines.
If printing rights are not paid for then brands or logos are not allowed to be used.
Only printers authorised to do so by the Competition may print medals on product packaging. Any use of the brand name or logo outside the conditions defined in these Rules and Regulations, the graphics charter, or any other document to which it may refer, shall be considered fraudulent.
Penalties provided for in article 21 of these Rules and Regulations shall apply to any printer who prints self-sticking medals or medals with a permit number without authorisation from the Competition, to any awarded producer or third-party who uses medals from a printer that is not authorised by the Organiser or that does not follow the rules of use described in these Rules and Regulations.
For a fee, the Participant may obtain advertising materials made available by the Competition. The Participant may also create its own advertising materials after getting written permission from the Competition. In this case, final proofs must be validated by the Competition before the supports are produced.
ARTICLE 20: OBLIGATION OF PARTICIPANTS AND AVAILABILITY OF THE RULES & REGULATIONS
Participants in the Competition must accept these Rules and Regulations, legal information and the policy for managing personal data that can be obtained from the competition's address by simple request.
ARTICLE 21: PENALTIES
If the medal or any other distinctive sign belonging to the Competition is reproduced and/or used in ways that do not meet the conditions stipulated in these Rules and Regulations, or in any other document or rules to which it refers, the Organiser may apply the following penalties, no matter what the reasons leading up to the infraction noted and without eliminating the possibility of any other appropriate legal steps--particularly if the Participant has acted in bad faith--in order to put a stop to the problem(s) and obtain compensation for the direct or indirect damages suffered:
- immediate payment of all fees due for use of the medal for the entire lot under consideration, with an additional financial penalty of 50% of the sum due, a €5000 fine and payment of all fees (lawyer and independent inspector in particular) incurred by the Organiser,
- immediate suspension of use of the medal until it can be proven that all self-sticking medals and/or medals with permit numbers not yet placed on product(s) have been destroyed,
- immediate removal of all product(s) bearing the medal from all stores and other points where they are sold, at the sole expense of the user who has not applied these Rules and Regulations,
- being banned from the Competition, for up to 10 years,
- being unable to refer to a medal obtained in a preceding edition of the Competition.
Any penalty applied under the conditions of this article cannot in any case lead to indemnification of the Participant, no matter what motives led to the infraction and even if the penalty is later revoked.
In addition, should producer(s) of awarded product(s) learn that a third-party has used the medal fraudulently, they solemnly agree to inform the Organiser of such use.
ARTICLE 22: INFORMATION AND REPORTS TO DREETS
The Competition Organiser shall communicate the date and place of the Competition, along with these Rules and Regulations, to the Direction régionale de l’économie, de l’emploi, du travail et des solidarités (Regional department for the economy, employment, labour and solidarity), or DREETS, of the place where the Competition is held, two months before the competition takes place. A report signed by the commissioner general attesting that the Competition took place in accordance with the provisions of these Rules and Regulations shall be sent to the Direction régionale de l’économie, de l’emploi, du travail et des solidarités (Regional department for the economy, employment, labour and solidarity), or DREETS. This report shall indicate: the number of wines presented to the Competition overall and by category, number of wines given an award overall and by category, list of award-winning wines and, for each, the name of the wine and its owner, percentage of award-winning wines with respect to the number of wines presented, number of distinctions awarded and their distribution by type of distinction.
ARTICLE 23 : GDPR
The information collected while participating in the Competition is required to provide services and manage commercial relations. It is intended for use by the Organiser and the companies involved in providing these services.
The charter on how personal data is managed is available on the Site's legal information.
ARTICLE 24: APPLICABLE LAW - DISPUTES
These Rules and Regulations are subject to French law. The language of the Rules and Regulations is French.
In the case of any dispute or legal action taken against the competition or the organiser, the Tribunaux de Lyon (France) shall be the only competent authority regardless of the nationalities of the parties to the conflict.
ARTICLE 1: PURPOSE
The Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion, hereafter called the Competition, is organised by Armonia, hereafter called the Organiser, located at 331 Chemin de la Croix de Fer, 69400 Limas, France. The Competition is open to all products that comply with applicable French and European regulations, that have obtained a certificate of compliance with organic production methods delivered by a State-approved certifying organisation or are currently in a process of conversion. It is also open to all products in the world that have obtained a certificate of compliance with organic production methods delivered by a certifying organisation in the country of production or are currently in a process of conversion. Each product must be in conformity with regulations in force in its country of origin.
The goal of the Competition is to showcase organic products or products in conversion that are of superior quality. The term “product” indifferently designates beer or spirits.
ARTICLE 2: PRODUCTS AUTHORISED TO COMPETE
The products may take part in the Competition, as long as they are certified organic, or are undergoing conversion. Biodynamic products are of course authorised. The participant pledges on his or her honour that the products presented are certified organic or are undergoing conversion.
BEER COMPETITION: all drinks in the world sold as “beer” are authorised to compete.
SPIRITS COMPETITION: all spirits, brandies and liqueurs from across the world are authorised to compete.
ARTICLE 3: PROFESSIONALS AUTHORISED TO PRESENT PRODUCTS
The following professionals, hereafter called the Participant(s), may participate:
BEER COMPETITIONS: sales offices, brewers, companies, importers.
SPIRITS COMPETITIONS: producers, groups of producers, distillers, companies, importers, sales offices.
ARTICLE 4: PRESENTATION OF SAMPLES
Samples may be presented by the owner of the lot, or any person duly authorised by the owner. Each sample submitted must fulfil the following conditions:
- come from a uniform batch.
- be identifiable
- have a sales label. Sales labels should conform to EU regulations for countries that are members of the European Union, to regulations in force in the country where made, and to importing regulations for third countries.
Participants must guarantee that Products can be safely consumed.
ARTICLE 5: SENDING SAMPLES
Samples should arrive at the Competition ‘franco domicile’, i.e., with shipping, customs duties and taxes paid by the sender, at the address on the Website www.concoursbio.com, hereafter known as the "Website", as well as on the shipping documents. Samples shall be sent at the Participant’s expense and at his or her own risk. Where applicable, the Organiser will re-invoice participants for any taxes or customs duties they may owe. Upon reception, samples become the property of the Competition. Any sample sent shipping due will be refused. Samples received that do not correspond to registration information or were not previously registered will not be presented for tasting and will remain the property of the Competition. The Organiser shall not be held responsible in case of theft, loss, delay, or damage during shipping of samples.
The number of samples requested depends on the product category. It is indicated on the Website.
The participant attests that he or she has taken all the necessary HACCP measures required to maintain food hygiene and guarantee the safety of products sent to the Competition.
A Product with a name considered sexist, racist, discriminatory, or degrading for human beings, the Competition or the industry concerned, shall not be allowed to compete and shall not be allowed to use an award even if it was obtained under a different name.
Any attempt to cheat, forge or misrepresent the way the products are presented or to bring the competition, profession or production sector into disrepute, for any reason whatsoever, will be prosecuted in the competent courts.
ARTICLE 6: REGISTRATION RULES
The Participant must provide the information required to open an account. He or she must also complete a registration form, called a product form, for each product submitted. This may be done by post or online.
Registration by post: The completed participant form and product form (beer or spirit) should be sent to the following address: Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion - 331 chemin de la Croix de Fer - 69400 LIMAS - France, hereafter known as the "competition's address". Forms are available on the Website or upon request.
Online registration:
a) The Participant must create an account on the Website. He or she will then have a personal account that can be used to present products. There is no charge for creating an account.
b) A form must be completed on the Website for each product submitted. This form is available on the Website from the Participant’s personal account.
Registration fees must be paid in accordance with provisions laid down in Article 7. Payment methods are also described in detail in Article 7.
The information provided on both forms is legally binding for the person who wrote it.
Participants must indicate if they have any direct or indirect links with a taster on a jury so that the Organiser can take measures to ensure that this taster does not judge the Participant’s products.
ARTICLE 7: REGISTRATION FEES
The registration fees are included on the participant form and on the Website. They are given in euros, include all taxes and are the same for all countries.
- For France, payment can be made by cheque to Armonia - Concours International des Produits Biologiques, or by bank transfer or credit card.
- For all other countries, in Europe and elsewhere, payment can be made by bank transfer or credit card.
In accordance with European legislation, services provided in France must include French VAT for 1) Participants located in France, and 2) Participants outside the European Union. Participants from all European Union countries except France will be billed without tax if they have a VAT number.
The choice of payment method for the registration fees is made online on the Participant’s account, after completing the sample registration process. Credit card payments are made on a secure online payment system (Visa, Mastercard).
Payment should be made to Armonia – Concours International des Produits Biologiques.
If registration fees for a product have not been paid, the product will not be allowed to take part in the Competition.
The Competition is not responsible for paying bank fees. Credit cards are charged, and cheques are sent to the bank on the day the registration is done.
Participants shall receive an invoice by email. If the Participant does not have an email account, the invoice will be sent by post, as requested.
Registration fees cannot be reimbursed if, for example, samples or forms arrive after the deadline set by the Competition and indicated during registration, if the product does not receive a prize, or if the registration is cancelled for any reason that cannot be attributed to the Competition.
ARTICLE 8: CALENDAR
Opening and closing dates for registration, as well as the deadline for receiving samples, can be obtained from the competition's address by simple request. This information is also available on the Website. Tastings may be scheduled on other dates at other venues in addition to the main date and place indicated on the Website or in documents.
ARTICLE 9: ORGANISATION OF THE COMPETITION
Products are placed in categories. A category includes products that have the same characteristics and are thus comparable. Categories can be viewed on the Website. The participant registers the product in the appropriate category and is considered to be acting in good faith. The competition shall not be held responsible for any actual or supposed error in the choice of category, and such a situation shall not change the results of the competition.
The Competition shall designate the members of each jury and do all in their power (prepare samples, organise the event, etc.) to make sure tastings are carried out properly. With the help of a suitable judging form, the Competition shall guarantee the control, processing, and publication of results.
If the number of competitors in a category is less than three when registration has been completed, the category may either be eliminated or combined with another, at the discretion of the Commissioner General for the competition. The samples involved may also be re-registered in a general category.
ARTICLE 10: FORCE MAJEURE
Force majeure is defined as: an epidemic, fire, natural catastrophe, strike, terrorist act or exceptional circumstances that the Organiser’s cannot control that prevents the Competition from happening as planned.
In such a case the Competition reserves the right to cancel the selection, change the place or dates initially planned, shorten or lengthen the Competition and modify its conditions or execution.
If an edition of the Competition is cancelled for a reason that cannot be attributed to the Organiser, or in the case of a force majeure as defined by the case-law of the French Court of Cassation, the Participant shall not hold the Competition responsible in any way, and registration fees and samples that have already been sent shall remain the property of the Competition.
The Competition may have to ask for samples to be sent again in such cases.
ARTICLE 11: ANONYMITY OF SAMPLES
BEERS AND SPIRITS COMPETITIONS
Bottles are numbered, uncapped and uncorked, then recorked anonymously and covered with opaque bottle socks, or transferred to unmarked vessels.
ARTICLE 12: MEANS OF JUDGING
Products are entered in competition in the hope of obtaining an award. Products are judged on the basis of their organoleptic qualities, which are evaluated by the jury using a marking scale provided by the Competition. The Organiser alone determines how samples shall be tasted, and shall not be held responsible if a product does not receive an award. Marks are confidential.
ARTICLE 13: COMPOSITION OF JURIES
Juries are composed of jurors who are designated and called directly by the commissioner general from a list of jurors who have voluntarily registered on the Competition’s Website.
For each Product category the jury will be composed of professionals in the sector and/or knowledgeable consumers.
If one or more members of the jury are absent on the day of the tasting, the commissioner general may designate substitute jurors.
Jurors’ names are confidential. Their personal data is not communicated to any third parties.
The Organiser gets jury members to make a solemn declaration indicating any direct or indirect ties they may have with any companies, establishments, professional organisations, or associations whose activities, Products or interests may be related to products presented in the Competition. The Organiser has the right to disqualify any juror to avoid having a competitor judge his or her own Products, or for any other reason. He or she is not required to disclose the reason for dismissing the juror.
Legal proceedings may not be brought against Organiser as a result of the choice of tasters. Tasters have sovereignty. Their marks cannot be contested. If an anomaly in marking results from a taster intentionally or non-intentionally giving a very poor mark to a product, the commissioner general shall be authorised to disqualify his or her marks.
ARTICLE 14: PRESIDENCY OF JURIES
The commissioner general presides over juries. The jury president, with the help of one or more assessors, makes sure the tasting is carried out properly, and in particular that all samples remain anonymous. He or she shall make sure the marking sheet is used when samples are judged. The president of the juries, in this case the commissioner general, supervises the collection of marking sheets. Juries are placed under his or her responsibility.
ARTICLE 15: DISTINCTIONS
The Competition grants the following awards:
- Gold Medal
- Silver Medal
The number of awards must not surpass one-third of the number of samples presented.
Participants will be informed of results by letter if and only if their Products are selected for an award. This letter will be the official document for the Competition. As such, it will indicate the name of the Competition, type of distinction awarded, identity of the Product, and the name and address of the Participant.
Medals representing distinctions may only be placed on the bottles or packages of award-winning Products, whose characteristics correspond entirely to those of the product for which the distinction was awarded.
If a brand was not declared upon registration, only the owner of the lot can request that it be added to the Competition. The new brand name can be used only after the Competition has confirmed its agreement by email.
Prior authorisation must be obtained, and fees paid, before completely or partially reproducing or representing the medal or logo. (See article 18)
The adhesive material used to produce medals can contain metal and non-food compounds. When ordering medals, the participant must inform the Competition of any production constraints stemming from packaging chains.
If there is a problem with using of the adhesive medals issued by the Competition or the printer, the Competition shall not be held responsible for any losses in productivity, given the numerous parameters involved in packaging and in affixing medals.
The Competition or the printer shall, however, do all in its power to replace the rolls of medals with a manufacturing defect.
A second jury may grant an honorary distinction to a product selected from amongst the best in the Competition.
Information relating to the product and communicated by the Participant at the time of registration (appellation, vintage, grape variety, certification, etc.) may be published (print or digital) and communicated to the public. In the event of an error in publication, no financial compensation will be paid to the Participant.
ARTICLE 16: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The Competition reserves the right to cancel any incomplete or erroneous registration and to eliminate any sample that does not comply with the rules and regulations or registration procedures. The Competition reserves the right to have a certified laboratory of its choice perform an analytical verification of samples provided and to take any subsequent steps it deems necessary. The Competition reserves the right to take samples at sales points to verify that samples found for sale in stores or on Website correspond to award-winning samples.
The Organiser shall set up an internal control system to guarantee that these rules and regulations are applied. The system shall be placed under the responsibility of the commissioner general. The commissioner general shall verify that the following are respected: conformity of registration documents, anonymity of Products during tasting, selection of jurors according to criteria set out in article 13, attribution of distinctions in conformity with article 15.
If samples are eliminated because of non-conformity with rules and regulations, Participants must recover them at the Organiser’s headquarters, at their own expense and in the week following notification of their non-conformity. At the end of this one-week period the Organiser shall have the right to destroy the samples.
ARTICLE 17: AUDITS
The Competition reserves the right to cancel any incomplete or erroneous registration and to eliminate any sample that does not conform to Rules and Regulations or to the analysis report submitted. The Competition reserves the right to have a certified laboratory of its choice perform an analytical verification of samples provided and to take any subsequent steps it deems necessary. The Competition reserves the right to take samples at sales points to verify that samples found for sale in stores or on Website correspond to award-winning samples.
The Organiser shall set up an internal control system to guarantee that these Rules and Regulations are applied. The system shall be placed under the responsibility of the commissioner general. The commissioner general shall verify, in particular, that the following are respected: conformity of registration documents, anonymity of Products during tasting, selection of jurors according to criteria set out in article 13, attribution of distinctions in conformity with article 16.
The Participant must, at its own expense, retrieve eliminated samples from the Organiser’s headquarters in the week following notification of their non-conformity with Rules and Regulations. After this one-week period, the Organiser shall have the right to destroy the samples.
ARTICLE 18: USE OF THE ‘CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL DES PRODUITS BIOLOGIQUES ET EN CONVERSION’ BRAND NAME
Use of the ‘Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion’ name or logo of the award may be indicated only by affixing self-sticking medals acquired from the Organiser, or by printing medals on Product packaging (labels, collars, bottles, primary or secondary packaging, cartons) after having obtained the corresponding printing rights from the Organiser. Rights to print medals and affix self-sticking medals are acquired for a specific Product and may not be transferred to other products.
If printing rights are not paid for then brands or logos are not allowed to be used.
Only printers authorised to do so by the Competition may print medals on product packaging. Any use of the brand name or logo outside the conditions defined in these rules and regulations, the graphics charter, or any other document to which it may refer, shall be considered fraudulent.
Penalties provided for in article 20 of these Rules and Regulations shall apply to any printer who prints self-sticking medals or medals with a permit number without authorisation from the Competition, any awarded producer or third-party who uses medals from a printer that is not authorised by the Organiser or that does not follow the rules of use described in these Rules and Regulations.
For a fee, the Participant may obtain advertising materials made available by the Competition. The Participant may also create its own advertising materials after getting written permission from the Competition. In this case, final proofs must be validated by the Competition before the supports are produced.
ARTICLE 19: OBLIGATION OF PARTICIPANTS AND AVAILABILITY OF THE RULES & REGULATIONS
Participants in the Competition must accept these rules and regulations, legal information, and the policy for managing personal data that can be obtained from the competition's address by simple request.
ARTICLE 20: PENALTIES
If the medal or any other distinctive sign belonging to the Competition is reproduced and/or used in ways that do not meet the conditions stipulated in these Rules and Regulations, or in any other document or rules to which it refers, the Organiser may apply the following penalties, no matter what the reasons leading up to the infraction noted and without eliminating the possibility of any other appropriate legal steps--particularly if the Participant has acted in bad faith--in order to put a stop to the problem(s) and obtain compensation for the direct or indirect damages suffered:
- immediate payment of all fees due for use of the medal for the entire yearly volume, with an additional financial penalty of 50% of the sum due, a €5.000 fine and payment of all fees (lawyer and independent inspector in particular) incurred by the Organiser,
- immediate suspension of use of the medal until it can be proven that all self-sticking medals and/or medals with permit numbers not yet placed on Product(s) have been destroyed,
- immediate removal of all Product(s) bearing the medal from all stores and other points where they are sold, at the sole expense of the user who has not applied these Rules and Regulations,
- being banned from the Competition, for up to 10 years,
- being unable to refer to a medal obtained in a preceding edition of the Competition.
Any penalty applied under the conditions of this article cannot in any case lead to compensation of the Participant, no matter what motives led to the infraction and even if the penalty is later revoked.
In addition, should producer(s) of awarded Product(s) learn that a third-party has used the medal fraudulently, they solemnly agree to inform the Organiser of such use.
ARTICLE 21: GDPR
The information collected while participating in the Competition is required to provide services and manage commercial relations. It is intended for use by the Organiser and the companies involved in providing these services.
The charter on how personal data is managed is available on the Website's legal information.
ARTICLE 22: APPLICABLE LAW - DISPUTES
These rules and regulations are subject to French law. The language of the rules and regulations is French.
In the case of any dispute or legal action taken against the Competition or the Organiser, the Tribunaux de Lyon (France) shall be the only competent authority regardless of the nationalities of the parties to the conflict.
The Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion, hereafter called the Competition, is organised by Armonia, hereafter called the Organiser, located at 331 Chemin de la Croix de Fer, 69400 Limas, France. The Competition is open to all products that comply with applicable French and European regulations, that have obtained a certificate of compliance with organic production methods delivered by a State-approved certifying organisation or are currently in a process of conversion. It is also open to all products in the world that have obtained a certificate of compliance with organic production methods delivered by a certifying organisation in the country of production or are currently in a process of conversion. Each product must be in conformity with regulations in force in its country of origin.
The goal of the Competition is to showcase organic products or products in conversion that are of superior quality. The term “product” indifferently designates beer or spirits.
ARTICLE 2: PRODUCTS AUTHORISED TO COMPETE
The products may take part in the Competition, as long as they are certified organic, or are undergoing conversion. Biodynamic products are of course authorised. The participant pledges on his or her honour that the products presented are certified organic or are undergoing conversion.
BEER COMPETITION: all drinks in the world sold as “beer” are authorised to compete.
SPIRITS COMPETITION: all spirits, brandies and liqueurs from across the world are authorised to compete.
ARTICLE 3: PROFESSIONALS AUTHORISED TO PRESENT PRODUCTS
The following professionals, hereafter called the Participant(s), may participate:
BEER COMPETITIONS: sales offices, brewers, companies, importers.
SPIRITS COMPETITIONS: producers, groups of producers, distillers, companies, importers, sales offices.
ARTICLE 4: PRESENTATION OF SAMPLES
Samples may be presented by the owner of the lot, or any person duly authorised by the owner. Each sample submitted must fulfil the following conditions:
- come from a uniform batch.
- be identifiable
- have a sales label. Sales labels should conform to EU regulations for countries that are members of the European Union, to regulations in force in the country where made, and to importing regulations for third countries.
Participants must guarantee that Products can be safely consumed.
ARTICLE 5: SENDING SAMPLES
Samples should arrive at the Competition ‘franco domicile’, i.e., with shipping, customs duties and taxes paid by the sender, at the address on the Website www.concoursbio.com, hereafter known as the "Website", as well as on the shipping documents. Samples shall be sent at the Participant’s expense and at his or her own risk. Where applicable, the Organiser will re-invoice participants for any taxes or customs duties they may owe. Upon reception, samples become the property of the Competition. Any sample sent shipping due will be refused. Samples received that do not correspond to registration information or were not previously registered will not be presented for tasting and will remain the property of the Competition. The Organiser shall not be held responsible in case of theft, loss, delay, or damage during shipping of samples.
The number of samples requested depends on the product category. It is indicated on the Website.
The participant attests that he or she has taken all the necessary HACCP measures required to maintain food hygiene and guarantee the safety of products sent to the Competition.
A Product with a name considered sexist, racist, discriminatory, or degrading for human beings, the Competition or the industry concerned, shall not be allowed to compete and shall not be allowed to use an award even if it was obtained under a different name.
Any attempt to cheat, forge or misrepresent the way the products are presented or to bring the competition, profession or production sector into disrepute, for any reason whatsoever, will be prosecuted in the competent courts.
ARTICLE 6: REGISTRATION RULES
The Participant must provide the information required to open an account. He or she must also complete a registration form, called a product form, for each product submitted. This may be done by post or online.
Registration by post: The completed participant form and product form (beer or spirit) should be sent to the following address: Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion - 331 chemin de la Croix de Fer - 69400 LIMAS - France, hereafter known as the "competition's address". Forms are available on the Website or upon request.
Online registration:
a) The Participant must create an account on the Website. He or she will then have a personal account that can be used to present products. There is no charge for creating an account.
b) A form must be completed on the Website for each product submitted. This form is available on the Website from the Participant’s personal account.
Registration fees must be paid in accordance with provisions laid down in Article 7. Payment methods are also described in detail in Article 7.
The information provided on both forms is legally binding for the person who wrote it.
Participants must indicate if they have any direct or indirect links with a taster on a jury so that the Organiser can take measures to ensure that this taster does not judge the Participant’s products.
ARTICLE 7: REGISTRATION FEES
The registration fees are included on the participant form and on the Website. They are given in euros, include all taxes and are the same for all countries.
- For France, payment can be made by cheque to Armonia - Concours International des Produits Biologiques, or by bank transfer or credit card.
- For all other countries, in Europe and elsewhere, payment can be made by bank transfer or credit card.
In accordance with European legislation, services provided in France must include French VAT for 1) Participants located in France, and 2) Participants outside the European Union. Participants from all European Union countries except France will be billed without tax if they have a VAT number.
The choice of payment method for the registration fees is made online on the Participant’s account, after completing the sample registration process. Credit card payments are made on a secure online payment system (Visa, Mastercard).
Payment should be made to Armonia – Concours International des Produits Biologiques.
If registration fees for a product have not been paid, the product will not be allowed to take part in the Competition.
The Competition is not responsible for paying bank fees. Credit cards are charged, and cheques are sent to the bank on the day the registration is done.
Participants shall receive an invoice by email. If the Participant does not have an email account, the invoice will be sent by post, as requested.
Registration fees cannot be reimbursed if, for example, samples or forms arrive after the deadline set by the Competition and indicated during registration, if the product does not receive a prize, or if the registration is cancelled for any reason that cannot be attributed to the Competition.
ARTICLE 8: CALENDAR
Opening and closing dates for registration, as well as the deadline for receiving samples, can be obtained from the competition's address by simple request. This information is also available on the Website. Tastings may be scheduled on other dates at other venues in addition to the main date and place indicated on the Website or in documents.
ARTICLE 9: ORGANISATION OF THE COMPETITION
Products are placed in categories. A category includes products that have the same characteristics and are thus comparable. Categories can be viewed on the Website. The participant registers the product in the appropriate category and is considered to be acting in good faith. The competition shall not be held responsible for any actual or supposed error in the choice of category, and such a situation shall not change the results of the competition.
The Competition shall designate the members of each jury and do all in their power (prepare samples, organise the event, etc.) to make sure tastings are carried out properly. With the help of a suitable judging form, the Competition shall guarantee the control, processing, and publication of results.
If the number of competitors in a category is less than three when registration has been completed, the category may either be eliminated or combined with another, at the discretion of the Commissioner General for the competition. The samples involved may also be re-registered in a general category.
ARTICLE 10: FORCE MAJEURE
Force majeure is defined as: an epidemic, fire, natural catastrophe, strike, terrorist act or exceptional circumstances that the Organiser’s cannot control that prevents the Competition from happening as planned.
In such a case the Competition reserves the right to cancel the selection, change the place or dates initially planned, shorten or lengthen the Competition and modify its conditions or execution.
If an edition of the Competition is cancelled for a reason that cannot be attributed to the Organiser, or in the case of a force majeure as defined by the case-law of the French Court of Cassation, the Participant shall not hold the Competition responsible in any way, and registration fees and samples that have already been sent shall remain the property of the Competition.
The Competition may have to ask for samples to be sent again in such cases.
ARTICLE 11: ANONYMITY OF SAMPLES
BEERS AND SPIRITS COMPETITIONS
Bottles are numbered, uncapped and uncorked, then recorked anonymously and covered with opaque bottle socks, or transferred to unmarked vessels.
ARTICLE 12: MEANS OF JUDGING
Products are entered in competition in the hope of obtaining an award. Products are judged on the basis of their organoleptic qualities, which are evaluated by the jury using a marking scale provided by the Competition. The Organiser alone determines how samples shall be tasted, and shall not be held responsible if a product does not receive an award. Marks are confidential.
ARTICLE 13: COMPOSITION OF JURIES
Juries are composed of jurors who are designated and called directly by the commissioner general from a list of jurors who have voluntarily registered on the Competition’s Website.
For each Product category the jury will be composed of professionals in the sector and/or knowledgeable consumers.
If one or more members of the jury are absent on the day of the tasting, the commissioner general may designate substitute jurors.
Jurors’ names are confidential. Their personal data is not communicated to any third parties.
The Organiser gets jury members to make a solemn declaration indicating any direct or indirect ties they may have with any companies, establishments, professional organisations, or associations whose activities, Products or interests may be related to products presented in the Competition. The Organiser has the right to disqualify any juror to avoid having a competitor judge his or her own Products, or for any other reason. He or she is not required to disclose the reason for dismissing the juror.
Legal proceedings may not be brought against Organiser as a result of the choice of tasters. Tasters have sovereignty. Their marks cannot be contested. If an anomaly in marking results from a taster intentionally or non-intentionally giving a very poor mark to a product, the commissioner general shall be authorised to disqualify his or her marks.
ARTICLE 14: PRESIDENCY OF JURIES
The commissioner general presides over juries. The jury president, with the help of one or more assessors, makes sure the tasting is carried out properly, and in particular that all samples remain anonymous. He or she shall make sure the marking sheet is used when samples are judged. The president of the juries, in this case the commissioner general, supervises the collection of marking sheets. Juries are placed under his or her responsibility.
ARTICLE 15: DISTINCTIONS
The Competition grants the following awards:
- Gold Medal
- Silver Medal
The number of awards must not surpass one-third of the number of samples presented.
Participants will be informed of results by letter if and only if their Products are selected for an award. This letter will be the official document for the Competition. As such, it will indicate the name of the Competition, type of distinction awarded, identity of the Product, and the name and address of the Participant.
Medals representing distinctions may only be placed on the bottles or packages of award-winning Products, whose characteristics correspond entirely to those of the product for which the distinction was awarded.
If a brand was not declared upon registration, only the owner of the lot can request that it be added to the Competition. The new brand name can be used only after the Competition has confirmed its agreement by email.
Prior authorisation must be obtained, and fees paid, before completely or partially reproducing or representing the medal or logo. (See article 18)
The adhesive material used to produce medals can contain metal and non-food compounds. When ordering medals, the participant must inform the Competition of any production constraints stemming from packaging chains.
If there is a problem with using of the adhesive medals issued by the Competition or the printer, the Competition shall not be held responsible for any losses in productivity, given the numerous parameters involved in packaging and in affixing medals.
The Competition or the printer shall, however, do all in its power to replace the rolls of medals with a manufacturing defect.
A second jury may grant an honorary distinction to a product selected from amongst the best in the Competition.
Information relating to the product and communicated by the Participant at the time of registration (appellation, vintage, grape variety, certification, etc.) may be published (print or digital) and communicated to the public. In the event of an error in publication, no financial compensation will be paid to the Participant.
ARTICLE 16: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The Competition reserves the right to cancel any incomplete or erroneous registration and to eliminate any sample that does not comply with the rules and regulations or registration procedures. The Competition reserves the right to have a certified laboratory of its choice perform an analytical verification of samples provided and to take any subsequent steps it deems necessary. The Competition reserves the right to take samples at sales points to verify that samples found for sale in stores or on Website correspond to award-winning samples.
The Organiser shall set up an internal control system to guarantee that these rules and regulations are applied. The system shall be placed under the responsibility of the commissioner general. The commissioner general shall verify that the following are respected: conformity of registration documents, anonymity of Products during tasting, selection of jurors according to criteria set out in article 13, attribution of distinctions in conformity with article 15.
If samples are eliminated because of non-conformity with rules and regulations, Participants must recover them at the Organiser’s headquarters, at their own expense and in the week following notification of their non-conformity. At the end of this one-week period the Organiser shall have the right to destroy the samples.
ARTICLE 17: AUDITS
The Competition reserves the right to cancel any incomplete or erroneous registration and to eliminate any sample that does not conform to Rules and Regulations or to the analysis report submitted. The Competition reserves the right to have a certified laboratory of its choice perform an analytical verification of samples provided and to take any subsequent steps it deems necessary. The Competition reserves the right to take samples at sales points to verify that samples found for sale in stores or on Website correspond to award-winning samples.
The Organiser shall set up an internal control system to guarantee that these Rules and Regulations are applied. The system shall be placed under the responsibility of the commissioner general. The commissioner general shall verify, in particular, that the following are respected: conformity of registration documents, anonymity of Products during tasting, selection of jurors according to criteria set out in article 13, attribution of distinctions in conformity with article 16.
The Participant must, at its own expense, retrieve eliminated samples from the Organiser’s headquarters in the week following notification of their non-conformity with Rules and Regulations. After this one-week period, the Organiser shall have the right to destroy the samples.
ARTICLE 18: USE OF THE ‘CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL DES PRODUITS BIOLOGIQUES ET EN CONVERSION’ BRAND NAME
Use of the ‘Concours International des Produits Biologiques et en conversion’ name or logo of the award may be indicated only by affixing self-sticking medals acquired from the Organiser, or by printing medals on Product packaging (labels, collars, bottles, primary or secondary packaging, cartons) after having obtained the corresponding printing rights from the Organiser. Rights to print medals and affix self-sticking medals are acquired for a specific Product and may not be transferred to other products.
If printing rights are not paid for then brands or logos are not allowed to be used.
Only printers authorised to do so by the Competition may print medals on product packaging. Any use of the brand name or logo outside the conditions defined in these rules and regulations, the graphics charter, or any other document to which it may refer, shall be considered fraudulent.
Penalties provided for in article 20 of these Rules and Regulations shall apply to any printer who prints self-sticking medals or medals with a permit number without authorisation from the Competition, any awarded producer or third-party who uses medals from a printer that is not authorised by the Organiser or that does not follow the rules of use described in these Rules and Regulations.
For a fee, the Participant may obtain advertising materials made available by the Competition. The Participant may also create its own advertising materials after getting written permission from the Competition. In this case, final proofs must be validated by the Competition before the supports are produced.
ARTICLE 19: OBLIGATION OF PARTICIPANTS AND AVAILABILITY OF THE RULES & REGULATIONS
Participants in the Competition must accept these rules and regulations, legal information, and the policy for managing personal data that can be obtained from the competition's address by simple request.
ARTICLE 20: PENALTIES
If the medal or any other distinctive sign belonging to the Competition is reproduced and/or used in ways that do not meet the conditions stipulated in these Rules and Regulations, or in any other document or rules to which it refers, the Organiser may apply the following penalties, no matter what the reasons leading up to the infraction noted and without eliminating the possibility of any other appropriate legal steps--particularly if the Participant has acted in bad faith--in order to put a stop to the problem(s) and obtain compensation for the direct or indirect damages suffered:
- immediate payment of all fees due for use of the medal for the entire yearly volume, with an additional financial penalty of 50% of the sum due, a €5.000 fine and payment of all fees (lawyer and independent inspector in particular) incurred by the Organiser,
- immediate suspension of use of the medal until it can be proven that all self-sticking medals and/or medals with permit numbers not yet placed on Product(s) have been destroyed,
- immediate removal of all Product(s) bearing the medal from all stores and other points where they are sold, at the sole expense of the user who has not applied these Rules and Regulations,
- being banned from the Competition, for up to 10 years,
- being unable to refer to a medal obtained in a preceding edition of the Competition.
Any penalty applied under the conditions of this article cannot in any case lead to compensation of the Participant, no matter what motives led to the infraction and even if the penalty is later revoked.
In addition, should producer(s) of awarded Product(s) learn that a third-party has used the medal fraudulently, they solemnly agree to inform the Organiser of such use.
ARTICLE 21: GDPR
The information collected while participating in the Competition is required to provide services and manage commercial relations. It is intended for use by the Organiser and the companies involved in providing these services.
The charter on how personal data is managed is available on the Website's legal information.
ARTICLE 22: APPLICABLE LAW - DISPUTES
These rules and regulations are subject to French law. The language of the rules and regulations is French.
In the case of any dispute or legal action taken against the Competition or the Organiser, the Tribunaux de Lyon (France) shall be the only competent authority regardless of the nationalities of the parties to the conflict.