WHO report: ‘Wine as harmful to health as cigarettes’
19.9.2022
Question for written answer E-003110/2022
to the Commission
Rule 138
Silvia Sardone (ID)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe recently adopted the 'European framework for action on alcohol 2022-2025' in Tel Aviv. The guidelines include combating alcohol consumption as a priority line of action, with the goal of reducing per capita consumption by 10% by 2025. This decision poses a major threat to Italy’s wine industry, which accounts for over EUR 7 billion in exports and employs 1.2 million people in Italy.
The report draws no distinction between different types of alcoholic drinks and products (thus treating spirits as the same as wine or beer) and modes of consumption and tars moderate consumption and abuse with the same brush.
In the light of the above:
- 1.What view does the Commission take of this report?
- 2.Has it assessed the effect of these policies which aim to equate wine with cigarettes, without considering the difference between consumption and abuse?
- 3.Does the Commission intend to pursue similar policies without considering their effects on supply chains?