First Meeting of the Alcohol and Health Forum

17 October, Brussels. The Directorate for Public Health and Consumer Protection of the European Commission (DG SANCO) has held the first plenary meeting of the Alcohol and Health Forum. This multistakholder forum, modelled on the EU Platform for Diet, Physical Activity and Health, brings together actors pledging to take concrete actions to reduce alcohol related harm in Europe, now the heaviest drinking region in the world.

This Forum constitutes the backbone of the Commission's “EU Strategy to Support Member States in Reducing Alcohol Related Harm”. Released in October 2006, this strategy finally saw the day after years of mounting pressure to tackle the harm done by alcohol, which now costs the EU €125 billion every year due to ill health, accidents and injuries, crime and lost productivity.

Launched in June 2007, the Forum counts over 40 members - businesses as well as NGO's, including Eurocare, and several of its national members.[i] European Institutions, the World Health Organisation, and EU Member States, will participate as observers. A Committee on National Policy and Action, a structure separate of the Forum, will allow Member States to coordinate national alcohol policies, whilst the Forum remains a platform for concrete action. This separation is fundamental, as Eurocare believe public health policies should be formulated without the interference of commercial interests.

The aim of this first plenary meeting was to discuss the practicalities of the Forum process: the nominations of experts for the Task Forces; the process for the appointment the Science Group, and the timetable for submission of Commitments. Robert Madelin, chair of the Forum, reiterated that commitments should be proportional to resources, and relevant to the aims of the Forum. Commitments will have to be submitted by members by the end of November. He also reminded members that organisations were free to apply for Forum membership at any time during the process; this could mean that any new Eurocare members will have the option of joining the Forum.

Mariann Skar, Secretary General of Eurocare emphasised that the Forum “will certainly test the alcohol industry's ability to face their responsibilities and commit to actions aimed at reducing alcohol related harm”. She highlighted the vital role of the Science Group, in ‘ensuring that the industry's commitments are relevant to the aims of the Forum, and, more importantly, are evidence based. Actions solely focused on education and centred around public information campaigns are insufficient.”

Eurocare will also be closely following the development of the two Task Forces on Young People and Commercial Communications, two crucial issues that need addressing urgently, given that self-regulation has consistently proved to be ineffective, and there are clear links between the exposure of young people to alcohol advertising and their levels of consumption.

[i] Eurocare (The European Alcohol Policy Alliance) joined the Forum as a founding member, whilst several of its members are affiliates: ANPAA (Agence Nationale de Prévention en Alcoologie et Addictologie) France; Eurocare Italia; Institute of Alcohol Studies,UK; Alcohol Action Ireland; STAP (National Foundation for Alcohol Prevention) Netherlands; IOGT-NTO, Sweden; DHS (German Centre for Addictions); Estonian Temperance Union.