UK Lords investigate EU alcohol strategy

The House of Lords has launched an inquiry into the next EU strategy on alcohol, potentially determining future policy on issues such as minimum alcohol pricing, advertising and binge drinking.

The first EU alcohol strategy began in 2006 with the key issues chosen to focus on including reducing alcohol related diseases and deaths and protecting young people from alcohol.

That six-year strategy ended in 2012, with the House of Lords’ Home Affairs, Health and Education EU Sub-Committee now inviting contributions to inform the 2016/2022 strategy.

Baroness Prashar, chairman of the committee, said: “With the last Strategy having finished in 2012, thoughts are now turning to drafting a new one, expected to run from 2016-2022.

“We want to investigate how successful the current Strategy has been at achieving its aims and, in light of this, make suggestions about the content of the new Strategy and how it might be more effective.

“Therefore, I would encourage anyone with the relevant experience or expertise to contribute to our inquiry.”

Questions the committee is currently discussing include whether there should be be another EU Alcohol Strategy at all and if so what its content should be; are the EU’s existing alcohol policies in line with existing international frameworks to tackle alcohol abuse, and whether the Court of Justice of the European Union could do more to balance to the aims of the single market with the wishes of individual Member States to promote public health in relation to minimum unit pricing.

For more information, and to contribute evidence to the inquiry, go to the UK Parliament’s website.

The deadline for submitting written evidence is Friday, 19 September 2014.