The European Commission responds to the Italian Parliament, which protested against wine labeling passed by the Irish government.
Wine labeling
May 22, 2023, the Irish government, the first in Europe, has introduced mandatory labeling of alcoholic beverages with an indication of the caloric content and grams of alcohol contained in the product and warnings of danger during pregnancy, as well as an increased risk of alcohol-related diseases and cancers. (1)
More sensitive to industry lobbying than public health, the Italian Parliament passed a resolution asking the European Commission to ban the Irish measure. The only priority for Italian politicians seems to be the market, in which Italy holds the lead in wine production and the burgeoning global success of prosecco. (2)
The response of the European Commission
To the Italian request, the European Commission responds clearly:
- the Irish measure was properly notified to the European Commission on June 21, 2022 (notification 2022/441/IRL),
- the bill introducing wine and beer labeling descends from a public health program launched in 2018 and at the time of notification had not yet been implemented,
- notification in Europe of the planned measure was done in full compliance with the rules, through the TRIS(Technical Regulation Information System) mechanism, as required by Directive (EU) 2015/1535 (on technical regulations) and Regulation (EU) 1169/11. (3)
Governments’ priorities
Another aspect that legitimizes the Irish policy, the European Commission recalls, is the case law of the Court of Justice, which ”repeatedly pointed out that in the absence of harmonized standards at the Union level, member states retain a wide margin of discretion in determining the level of health protection. The assessment shall be based on the specific legal and factual circumstances of the member state concerned’.
In this case, the Irish authorities presented the results of scientific studies and research showing the need to inform the public about the risks related to alcohol consumption.
Labeling alcohol throughout the EU.
Finally, the European Commission recalls its failure to protect the people of Europe.
From February 2021, as part of the cancer plan, the Commission ‘announced plans to propose the introduction of health warnings on alcoholic beverage labels. Preparatory work and data collection are ongoing‘.
In the long wait for EU measures, only in Ireland from May 22, 2026 will it be possible to know the true nature of alcoholic beverages and the risks they pose.
Marta Strinati
Notes
(1) Marta Strinati. Alcoholic beverage labeling, the European Commission stalled. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 24.5.23
(2) Irish health label on wine and alcohol is law, Italy fights back. ANSA. 22.5.23 https://www.ansa.it/europa/
(3) Commission Decision regarding the follow-up to National Parliaments’ Opinions – reply to the Camera dei Deputati (IT) – Own initiative Opinion – health risks of alcohol consumption in the labeling of wines and beers. European Commission document register. 7.6.23 https://ec.europa.eu/
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
