Answer given by Mr Dalli on behalf of the Commission

1.3.2010

The Commission fully shares the Honourable Member's concerns over the fact that alcohol abuse is the cause of death for one in four men and one in ten women in the cohort of young people aged 15-29 years.

In this context, the first priority of the EU Alcohol Strategy is to protect young people and children from alcohol related harm. Action to curb under-age drinking and high levels of binge drinking among young people is, therefore, at the heart of European and national policies on alcohol-related harm.

As mentioned by the Honourable Member, there is evidence that commercial communication is amongst the factors that uphold a drinking culture among young people.

As part of the EU Alcohol Strategy, the Commission has set up the EU Alcohol and Health Forum to bring together a wide range of stakeholders, including economic operators, to act to tackle alcohol-related harm. Commercial communication has been much discussed in this Forum, and the economic operators have committed themselves to strengthening the self regulation of commercial communication on alcohol.

The Commission is committed to continue calling for stakeholders' efforts towards a system that adequately protects children and young people along the lines set out in the EU Alcohol Strategy.