In Italy, there is renewed alarm as the European Commission has confirmed ”work is ongoing” on the directive on minimum excise rates on alcoholic beverages. League submits question to Brussels. Moretti (PD): ”We will defend the sector, but we are talking about health.”
From the Correspondent in Strasbourg – A European Commission working document has rekindled fears in the Italian and European wine sectors. “Work is underway to revise the directive on minimum rates of excise duty to apply to alcoholic beverages,” reads the report, which takes stock of the implementation of the EU Plan to Combat Cancer (BECA) launched in 2021. Taxing alcohol, “including wine, remains a strategic prevention tool for the EU,” Brussels reiterates.
Nothing new so far: the review of rules on taxes and cross-border purchase of alcohol products was already included in the roadmap outlined five years ago to combat the evil responsible for at least 1.3 million deaths in the EU in 2022. “Overall, implementation is well on track, with over 90 percent of actions completed or underway,” notes the internal document dated Feb. 4, 2025. The sensitive alcohol legislation has slipped to the current legislature, and the executive confirms “work is in progress” without providing details on when it will submit a revision proposal. In the European Commission’s work program for 2025, published yesterday (Feb. 12), there is no sign of it.
Currently, “taxes on wine, other fermented beverages, and intermediate products are based on volume, unlike other alcoholic beverages where the tax is determined according to their alcoholic strength.” Essentially, the directive sets a minimum excise tax rate of zero for wine and other fermented beverages while setting a minimum positive tax rate for beer, intermediate products, and ethyl alcohol. However, “the market is evolving” and requires “a thorough evaluation,” which will serve to start talks with member states on the next steps, Brussels points out.
The BECA plan also calls for the Commission to oversee all aspects of consumer information and alcohol advertising regulation. The notorious labels similar to those used for tobacco warn of the health risks of consumption. The Plan “calls for a proposal to introduce health warnings on alcoholic beverage labels,” the working paper reiterates.
The Commission pointed out that in 2020, there was an “external study” and a dialogue with national authorities and “stakeholders” who had “the opportunity to provide feedback on an evaluation roadmap in a public consultation in 2021.” Brussels is preparing in advance, in any case, adding that “further analysis is needed to strike the right balance between safeguarding the free movement of goods, securing tax revenues for Member States, protecting public health, and strengthening the fight against fraud.”
Source: EUnews
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