Excise duties on alcohol and alcoholic beverages

18.4.2016

Question for written answer E-003104-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Andrejs Mamikins (S&D)

The Commission, under its Better Regulation Framework, held a public consultation from August to November 2015 on the alcohol structures directive (92/83/EEC) with the aim of assessing possibilities for revising some of the excise principles applied to alcohol and alcoholic beverage sales across the EU.

Since alcohol is, for many people, an inalienable part of their fabric of social reality and recreational activities, changes to excise rules may have a strong impact not only on the price of such products, but also on public health if lower prices make alcohol more easily available.

1. If excise duties for alcohol and alcoholic beverages are lowered, does the Commission foresee any (additional) health-related risks or issues arising across the EU as a result of lower prices making alcohol more easily available, especially in poorer regions and amongst young people?

2. Since one of the aims of this potential excise policy revision is to protect smaller producers, does the Commission forecast an increase in both the number of such producers and, perhaps, their overall revenue, due to the exclusion of larger producers from the lower excise schemes?