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.
German Green MEP Hiltrud Breyer, said that "this U-turn" from the report adopted by the Parliament's Environment and Public Health Committee was a "response to the alcohol industry's lobby" and "sends the wrong signal about the EU's approach to tackling this problem".
However, EU member states can introduce obligatory health warnings for alcoholic beverages in their territory and thus far at least France and Finland have already done so (see EurActiv 07/06/2006).
Hakon Riegels of the European Alcohol Policy Alliance (EUROCARE) was also disappointed with the rejection of the calls for EU-wide health warning labels as well as "the failure to adopt measures aimed at restricting the exposure of minors to alcohol advertising".
The Alliance welcomed, however, the report's calls for "some sound measures such as limiting the access to and availability of alcoholic drinks to young people; particularly focusing on alcoholic beverages such as alcopops and promoting a 0% BAC level for novice drivers".
