Parliament rejects EU health warnings on alcohol The European Parliament rejected calls from its own Health Committee to introduce standardised EU-wide health warnings on alcoholic drinks, as is currently the case on tobacco products, in what some MEPs denounced as 'strong lobbying' from alcohol producers.
Brief News:
The Parliament adopted on 5 September 2007 an amended own-initiative report
supporting the Commission's proposal for an EU strategy to support member states in reducing alcohol-related harm.
The non-binding resolution adopted by a large majority gives MEPs' views on the consumption of alcopops and binge-drinking by minors and young people, how to reduce accidents caused by drinking and driving and the warning labels on products.
The MEPs removed from the resolution a note from the House's Health Committee stating that "health warnings on alcohol may require European harmonisation similar to health warnings on tobacco" as well as the request for the Commission to publish by 2010 either a legislative proposal to introduce health warnings on alcoholic beverages, or a communication to explain why in contrast to health warnings on tobacco, the introduction or harmonisation of health warnings on alcohol is not necessary.
Instead, MEPs asked the Commission to initiate "a comparative study on the impact and effectiveness of various information and communication means, including labelling and advertising, applied in member states" and to publish the results by 2010.
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