EU: Trouble brewing for Europe’s consumers

A gulf is emerging between the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (DG SANCO) and Europe’s consumers of beer, wine, cider and spirits, The Brewers of Europe warned July 17. Europe’s brewers fear that DG SANCO’s proposals, due to be published in September, will confuse alcohol consumption in general with the misuse of alcoholic drinks. A ‘one size fits all’ policy, which is not evidence-based, would not work and would risk alienating public opinion by treating responsible consumers like alcoholics.

A new report commissioned by The Brewers of Europe, and published by The Weinberg Group LLC (international scientific and regulatory consulting firm that helps companies protect their product at every stage of its life) on 14 July 2006, underlines the need for evidence-based policies to tackle alcohol-related problems in society. The report, which also examines patterns of alcohol consumption across Europe, is entitled ‘An independent review of issues related to alcohol consumption in Europe’ and has been reviewed by an independent scientific panel.

The independent scientific panel concluded that, “any EU policies on alcohol-related harm should be formulated and implemented taking into account regional, national and local differences in the consumption and misuse of alcohol.”

The Secretary-General of The Brewers of Europe, Mr. Rodolphe de Looz-Corswarem, commented, “Europe’s brewers recognise that problems related to the misuse of alcohol – both in terms of health issues and anti-social behaviour – exist in some parts of Europe. However, the conclusions of the independent panel demonstrate that there is no scientific justification for pan-European regulation to reduce alcohol consumption.

“As the report argues, some confuse alcohol consumption in general with the misuse of alcoholic drinks. However, the level of alcohol consumption per se is not an indicator of alcohol-related problems, since these are culturally determined rather than quantity determined. Many countries with a high level of consumption across the whole population are those with the most responsible drinking patterns.

“Given that the extent and nature of any problems varies greatly from country to country, any pan-European anti-alcohol regulation will not work. For example, trying to pluck policies from Sweden and impose them on Italy would be a recipe for failure.

“Policies that are not evidence-based, and that do not consider cultural and regional differences, will fail to deal with the social problems, while at the same time generate a rising level of political objections. The Brewers of Europe has been in dialogue with DG SANCO about the issues concerning the misuse of alcohol and is seeking targeted solutions that will truly and effectively address concerns of the society related to the misuse of alcohol.

“The Weinberg Group LLC’s press release makes the comment that ‘Some panel members felt that this was because too much attention was being paid to the beneficial health effects’.

The Brewers of Europe believe that the beneficial health effects of moderate consumption remain significant, as explained in the background material developed by The Weinberg Group LLC. However, we do acknowledge the view of the panel that insufficient attention has been paid to the social benefits and that these, while more difficult to quantify, could well outweigh the direct health benefits.

“The vast majority of European consumers of beer and other alcoholic drinks are responsible adults who act in moderation. Where there are social or health problems associated with alcohol misuse, national or regional governments should continue to formulate public health policies appropriate to their cultures, without interference from Brussels.”

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