Grapes of wrath – as EU wine-growing states fight back against Ireland’s proposed bottle cancer warnings

Nine countries – including France, Italy, Spain and Portugal – have lodged objections with the Commission, while Greece, Latvia and Poland have raised concerns.

Several of Ireland’s international trading partners are understood to have expressed concerns to the EU and the World Trade Organization over the legislation.

The objections relate to labeling requirements under the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018, which have already led to the introduction of minimum unit prices as part of a broader plan to reduce alcohol consumption in Ireland.

The new labels would include warnings about liver disease and a link between alcohol and “deadly cancers.” They would also feature a logo discouraging alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

In addition, manufacturers would have to print the alcohol content in grams per bottle and the energy content per bottle in kilojoules and kilocalories.

Italy said the measures could result in small and medium-sized manufacturers “exiting the Irish market” due to the “costly complexity” required.

In a written statement by the Irish IndependentItalian authorities said the requirements were “import restrictions” and called on the government to produce scientific evidence to back up its claims about cancer warnings.

The alcohol content labeling requirements set a “dangerous precedent” that could lead to each country adopting its own rules.

The French opinion, also seen by the Irish Independentsaid the Irish law would “fragment” the internal market and is de facto “discriminatory” against imports.

“This could ultimately result in alcohol being prevented from being marketed on the Irish market given the additional costs involved,” French authorities said.

Under EU rules, a country wishing to introduce new technical specifications or manufacturing requirements for a product must notify the Commission. Other countries then have three months to lodge an objection.

The Commission can block the new requirements for up to 18 months if they interfere with pending EU legislation, but has chosen not to do so in the Irish case.

Ireland informed the Commission of its labeling plans last June. The consultation process ended last month.

EU rules already require producers to declare alcohol content by volume (rather than per bottle), allergens and sugar content (for sparkling wines). New EU-wide rules on labeling ingredients and nutritional values ​​are set to come into force next year.

In its €4 billion Beating Cancer paper in 2021, the Commission pledged to introduce legislation for mandatory health warnings on alcohol labels before the end of 2023. French and Italian authorities say Ireland should have waited until this law was presented before acting.

“The Irish authorities may present their position in the context of future negotiations between Member States on the development of European rules,” reads the French statement. France has asked for Irish law to be “at least put on hold” until the EU can adopt harmonized standards for labels.

The Department of Health said it would consider any objections. “The results of the EU assessment process will be examined by the Minister of Health,” said a spokesman.

“These reflections will include the objections of some Member States and that the European Commission has not raised any objections to the draft law, which it is entitled to do under the procedure.”

Meanwhile, new research from Drinks Ireland shows that sales of non-alcoholic beer in Ireland more than tripled from 1.79 million liters to 5.55 million liters between 2017 and 2021. Ireland’s non-alcoholic beer market share increased from 0.4 to 1.5 per cent over the five years.

In Germany, the market share for non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beer is 11.8 percent of the entire beer category. In Spain it is 10.6 percent.

Sales of non-alcoholic cider and low-alcohol or non-alcoholic spirits in Ireland increased by 52 and 314 per cent respectively in 2021.

Drinks Ireland is forecasting rising sales of soft drinks this year as Irish people seek to reduce their alcohol consumption. “We are seeing consumers in Ireland looking for more balanced drinking, which is positive,” said Cormac Healy, Director of Drinks Ireland.

“Revenue data also show that overall alcohol consumption in Ireland continues to decline, by about 33 per cent over 20 years.”