Her plan sparked a backlash Ireland put warning labels on bottles guiltbeer and spirits.

In particular, the European Commission has given the green light to Ireland so that it can put a label on every drink, similar to the one found on cigarette packs.

Specific drink labels will state that drinking causes liver disease, harms pregnancy, and is directly linked to fatal cancer.

However, the plan provoked a reaction in some EU countries.

In particular, 9 EU members objected to the specific plan, and the beverage industry characterizes the measure as aggressive, since the EU has already adopted the philosophy of “moderate drinking”.

What led Ireland to this decision?

Ireland has passed a bill to place warning labels on alcoholic beverages in an attempt to reduce alcohol consumption in the country.

The bill also sets minimum prices for retail products, angering consumers who can no longer buy beer and vodka because of the high price.

The Irish authorities are aware that posting cancer warnings on all alcoholic products is leading to a “trade war” with European wine and beer companies.

What do the labels say?

According to the plan, health warnings will be strong and must be written in capital red letters, such as the following text:

“Alcohol use causes liver disease” and “There is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancer.”

Why is the European beverage industry upset?

“The proposed labeling is misinformation,” complained Ettore Pradini, president of an agricultural company.

“It is unfair to compare alcohol with cigarettes. We know that wine, consumed in the right amounts, has health benefits,” he said.

For his part, Ulrich Adam, who works in the beverage industry in Europe, noted that the Irish system does not distinguish between “moderate” and “excessive” drinking.

Brewers of Europe, representing 10,000 brewers, said the measures hinder free trade.

The Irish plans “hit the foundations of the European economy and call into question the free movement of goods, destroying an industry that has done so much good for Europeans,” said Lamberto Frescobaldi, president of the Italian Wine Association.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tagiani also intervened, blaming the Irish plan for an “assault” on Italy’s identity and heritage.

He even offered to intervene in the World Trade Organization, saying that these decisions could affect the trade of other EU states.

Source: Politico