4.0 EUROCARE

4.1 Concerned about the possible negative effects of the Single European Act on alcohol control policy, initiatives were taken to establish an alliance of voluntary and non-governmental organisations within the European Union.

4.2 The French Association Nationale de Prevention de L'Alcoolisme, which had achieved success in restricting alcohol advertising in France, organised a Summer School on 'Alcohol in the European Community' in Strasbourg 1989 with the intention of forming such an alliance.

4.3 At the same time the UK Institute of Alcohol Studies, concerned about fiscal policy, was initiating a workshop for the same purposes in the autumn of the same year. Both initiatives combined to result in the forming of EUROCARE.

4.4 EUROCARE believes that:

• It is necessary to recognise that there is potentially an intrinsic conflict of interest between policies designed to promote health and social wellbeing and policies designed to promote the free trade, sale and consumption of products such as alcohol and tobacco.
• Alcohol is not just a marketable commodity like others: it is a toxic, psychotropic and dependence-inducing drug, the adverse effects of which are not restricted to the drinkers themselves but also impact upon others such as family members and society generally.
• The production, marketing and consumption of alcohol are therefore quite properly and indeed unavoidably matters of public policy.

Members of EUROCARE further recognise:

• The existence of a link between the availability of alcohol and the levels of harm in society.
• The need for legislative and regulatory measures to provide a foundation for prevention policy.
• The necessity for a coherent balance between information, education and alcohol control policies.

EUROCARE is aware that the national situations in Europe are very different. Europe is divided into two - the Northern countries, which have made definite progress in their alcohol policy, and the Mediterranean countries, whose awareness of the alcohol risk is more recent.

Adjusting to a common policy involves risk and great care must be taken. Some will be tempted to opt for the lowest level of control and even the search for an average level between national policies would risk the destruction of some of the benefits gained by efforts undertaken in countries with high control policy. In contrast, the low-control countries would find difficulty in adapting to the rigorous policies which have long been accepted in others.

Clearly, this is an area where the principle of subsidiarity should apply and common policy needs to evolve gradually on a step-by-step basis.

 The EUROCARE report "Counterbalancing the Drinks Industry" is to be seen as a contribution to the endeavour of the Union to fulfil the intention of the Council of Ministers' resolutions of 1981 and 1986 and to answer the drinks industry's submission.