Health & Social Aspects

As per Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the European Union is entitled to adopt measures  which have as their direct objective the protection of public health regarding the abuse of alcohol. However, most legislative power in this area is left in the hands of Member States, and the EU’s role mainly consists in supporting the efforts of Member States and helping them formulate and implement coordinated objectives and strategies.

In this framework, the European Commission adopted in 2006 the EU Strategy to support Members States in reducing alcohol-related harm, which led to the creation of the European Alcohol and Health Forum (EAHF), a platform gathering EU stakeholders committed to reducing alcohol-related harm through concrete actions and commitments. As a founding member of the EAHF, CEEV led the European wine sector to materialize its firm commitment to encourage responsible and moderate wine drinking as a social and cultural norm, and developed the “Wine in Moderation” programme, which came to life in 2008. Placed under the international coordination of the WIM Association since 2011, the Wine in Moderation programme has trained so far more than 55.000 people worldwide.

The programme also launched the third edition of Wine in Moderation Day on 8 November 2025, under the theme “The greatest wine: the one that you’ll remember”, reinforcing the message of mindful appreciation and responsible enjoyment of wine.

One of the key pillars of the Wine in Moderation programme is the Wine Information Council (WIC), a unique partnership between scientific and academic experts and organizations committed to promoting a moderate and responsible consumption of wine. Created in 2009 in response to the need for broader dissemination of research on the health, social and cultural aspects of wine drinking in Europe, WIC aims mainly at facilitating dialogue and making available relevant, unbiased, credible and sound scientific information.

At EU level, the European Beating Cancer Plan continues to priorities the reduction of harmful alcohol consumption as a key preventive measure. The Plan includes actions such as mandatory ingredient labelling and health warnings on alcoholic beverages, and promotes healthy lifestyles through the HealthyLifestyle4All campaign.

In parallel, the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan is under development, following the adoption of Council Conclusions in December 2024. The Plan aims to reduce premature mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular diseases, which remain the leading cause of death in Europe. It emphasises prevention, early detection, and integrated care, and calls for a whole-of-society approach, including the promotion of healthy lifestyles and reduction of risk factors such as harmful alcohol use.

At international level, CEEV also supports the works of the World Health Organization (WHO), with a special focus on the WHO Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, endorsed by WHO Member States in 2010, and on the 2022-2030 action plan for the implementation of the Global Alcohol Strategy.

The UN 4th High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health (HLM4) held in September 2025 saw governments reaffirm their commitment to reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030. While the Political Declaration recognised harmful use of alcohol as one leading cause of NCDs, civil society groups called for stronger language and safeguards against industry interference, and for elevating alcohol policy to the same level of priority as tobacco control.

In 2024, against the growing anti-alcohol movement increasingly seeking to demonise alcoholic beverages and removing of the distinction between alcohol abuse and the moderate wine consumption within a healthy and balanced lifestyle, the wine sector launched the VITAEVINO initiative. VITAEVINO movement aims at protecting the role of Wine in society and its cultural heritage, value its socio-economic impact and give voice to moderation.