EU International partners raise concerns about the Irish Draft regulations on alcoholic beverages labelling in the framework of the WTO notification procedure

Brussels, 9 May 2023 – EU main trading partners, among them the USA and UK, confirmed their concerns on the Irish draft regulation on Alcohol Labelling and health warnings, at the end of the 90-day notification period foreseen by World Trade Organisation under the TBT Agreement.

The Irish draft regulation received substantial critics by no less than 13 Member States, including Italy, France and Spain, during the EU process of consultation under the TBT procedure. But given the absence of any action by the European Commission, Ireland went on with its plan and notified on 6 February the exact same draft at international level under the WTO procedure.

“International partners have expressed their concerns in the framework of the WTO notification process, essentially taking up the same perplexities already highlighted in recent months by EU Member States. These comments represent an important and significant signal for Ireland and the European Commission on the critical impact the Irish legislation will have on the EU Single Market and the image of the EU itself.” said Mauricio González-Gordon, President of CEEV.

The Irish draft regulations would be raised and discussed at WTO level during the next Technical Barriers to Trade Committee foreseen on 21 June.

“Difficult task for the European Commission to justify, during the TBT meeting, the compatibility of the Irish measure with EU law and the EU Single market.” said Ignacio Sánchez Recarte, Secretary General of CEEV. “We continue to call on the European Commission to take its responsibility and defend EU Treaties, Legislation and Single Market. The Commission should bring the debate back in the right direction, i.e. fighting alcohol abuse through education and appropriate information to consumers, and work on a harmonized EU legal framework.” he added.

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