The European Commission is organising an "EU High-Level Conference on Mental Health.” This will take place on 13 June 2008 in Brussels. This high-level event will be hosted by European Commissioner for Health, Ms. Androulla Vassiliou, who is preparing it with her colleague Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Mr. Vladimír Špidla. The President of the European Commission, Dr José Manuel Barroso, also expressed his wish to participate in the event. The conference will be a follow-up to the consultation on the Commission's Green Paper on Mental Health of 2005.

8 April 2008. The European Court of Justice has dismissed the Commission action against Sweden and considered that different tax treatment of beer and wine in Sweden does not infringe community law.

The drinks industry has usurped the role of the national governments and drafted the national alcohol strategies of several Sub-Saharan countries[1] with the aim of safeguarding its own economic interests.