Answer to written question on Alcohol and minimum pricing

Date published: 23 October 2009

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4656/09 by Catherine Stihler (S-D) to the Commission

Subject: Alcohol and minimum pricing

Does the Commission have any proposals to introduce EU minimum pricing on alcohol products?

Answer given by MrsVassiliou on behalf of the Commission
(20.10.2009)

When launching the EU Alcohol Strategy, in October 2006, the Commission stressed that it did not intend to implement the Strategy through specific legislative proposals. There are no proposals to introduce minimum pricing on alcohol products at EU level.

Actions in Member States to reduce alcohol-related harm were mapped at the time of the launch of the EU Alcohol Strategy, and a range of good practices which had led to positive results were identified in the Strategy. Pricing policies, such as reducing "two-drinks-for-one" offers, were mentioned as one such example.