European Parliament calls for new EU alcohol strategy

Members of the European Parliament passed a resolution in April calling on the European Commission to come forward with a comprehensive new long term strategy to tackle the impacts of alcohol on health. The last EU-wide programme ended in 2012 and has not been replaced.

Amongst the new measures listed in the resolution, MEPs called for support for member states on collecting reliable data and running communication campaigns on drink driving as well as asking the European Commission to consider EU-wide labelling alerting consumers to the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol.

So far, the European Commission has failed to come forward with a new strategy, prompting 20 public health groups to resign in protest earlier this month from the European Alcohol and Health forum, a platform for policymakers, civil society and industry groups.

ETSC remains a member of the forum, but strongly supports the call for a new, comprehensive EU strategy on alcohol and for better coordination between the European Commission’s Health (SANCO), Transport (MOVE) and Industry (GROW) departments to tackle drink driving.