Wine, the label says ‘harmful’. The alarm of Italian producers: “Attack on Italy”

Ireland could be a pioneer and lead the other countries of the European Union to labeling of spirits (and wine) bottles: “It’s bad for your health.” The barricades of different EU countries: “It’s setting a precedent”, Concern about the economic consequences for the wine market. A real equation with cigarettes could inspire other countries to follow the same path: especially in northern Europe, which is characterized by heavy alcohol consumption.

Italian producers immediately raise the barricades to defend the legacy of the national food and wine tradition: thunder Coldirettiin which a “direct attack on Italy, the world’s leading producer and exporter with about.” is spoken of 14 billion turnovermore than half of them abroad.”

“Ireland’s decision to introduce a label for all alcoholic beverages, including Italian wine, is absurd. Despite The resistance of the European Parliament. A choice that ignores the difference between moderate consumption and alcohol abuse. I will ask for the EU Commission’s intervention on the WTO.” The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister tweeted it Antonio Tajani.

The “Irish Precedents”
Ireland had already received the green light from the EU in 2016 and then in 2018 for increasingly strict measures (tax and price). Reduce alcohol consumption, Irish authorities say it is a ‘national health emergency’ and there is labelling, a very sensitive issue for the internal market: last June Ireland notified the EU of draft legislation that would put warnings on bottles about the health risks of alcohol consumption and its “direct link to deadly cancer”.
Rome, Paris and Madrid, along with six other Union capitals, have tried to oppose them by writing a statement on the protest sent to Brussels arguing that the Irish exception leads to discrimination against producers from other EU countries.

WHO recommendation
WHO, World Health Organization, has long recommended the introduction of health labels, While in Brussels, the fight was reignited after the European Commission announced “proposals to reduce harmful alcohol consumption” in its 2021 Cancer Plan, including precisely the health warnings to be placed on bottles, along the lines of what is already happening for cigarette packs .
A year later, A Strasbourg The European Parliament, after a heated debate on the issue, held back and agreed to more information on alcohol labels, but without deeming health information necessary.

Reactions from the wine industry
“Brussels’ tacit approval of the health warnings on the label represents dangerous progress by a member country,” said the President of the Italian Wine Confederation (uiv), Lamberto Frescobaldi. even there Federvini He called for an end to the “mutism of the EU executive” and called on the government to “consider all possible measures to defy a rule that runs counter to common sense and reality”.
It calls it a “confusing” scenario CIA– Italian farmers: “Endangers the work done so far at community level with the cancer plan.” Also on the barricades Confagriculture: “Prohibition Drift”.