APRIL 2008

1/4 Sweden sells Vin & Sprit
The Swedish stateowned company Vin & Sprit is sold for 5,6 milliard euros the the French Pernod Ricard. The brand Absolut Vodka will be the one of the biggest trademarks in the Pernod-Ricard Group.

FEBRUARY 2008

15/2 Norway to give up ban on private import of alcohol
The Ministry of Health and Care Services in Norway has informed ESA, the supervising authority of EFTA, that the government is about to start a process which will revoke the ban of private import of alcohol. Earlier ESA has asked Norway to revoke the ban. The Norwegian ban, which is quite similar to the Swedish, does not comply with the EU regulations of free movement of goods and services.

JANUARY 2008

16/1 Risikko: Warning labels on alcoholic drinks should be abandoned
The Finnish Minister of Health and Social Services Paula Risikko has proposed that the scheme to introduce warning labels on alcoholic drinks should be rescinded. The use of warnings was set to be introduced in 2009. The EU Commission does not accept the proposed Finnish warning labels and requests standard warnings used by other EU countries. Minister Risikko has said that the ongoing debate on whether warning labels are of any use or not does not relate to the EU position.

1/1 New duties on alcohol in Finland and Sweden
Taxes on strong alcohol beverages have increased with 15 % in Finland after the turn of the year. Taxes on beer and wine increased with 10 %. In Sweden taxes on beer have increased with 13 %. On wine the taxes were reduced with just over 2 %.

DECEMBER 2007

31/12 Commissioner proposes: private import of alcohol should be legal
Private import of alcohol from another EU-country to Sweden might be legal allready in the summer of 2008. The commissioner suggests to the government that the law should be changed due to the pressure from the European Commission.

19/12 European Alcohol and Health Forum announces first commitments
The European Alcohol and Health Forum which contains of members of the alcohol industry, doctors, publishers and non-governmental organizations have pledged a series of actions to promote responsible drinking, curb under-age alcohol consumption and promote behavioural change among adolescents.There are 75 commitments announced so far.
Read more here:
European Alcohol and Health Forum: Overview of commitments

NOVEMBER 2007

3/11 Commission adopts new Health Strategy
On 23 October 2007 the European Commission adopted a new Health Strategy, 'Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013'. Building on current work, the Strategy aims to provide an overarching strategic framework spanning core issues in health as well as health in all policies and global health issues. The Strategy aims to set clear objectives to guide future work on health at the European level, and to put in place an implementation mechanism to achieve those objectives, working in partnership with Member States. See Commission's webpage on the Health Strategy

SEPTEMBER 2007

6/10 The European parliament adopted report on the alcohol strategy
On 5 September 2007 the European Parliament adopted an amended report on the EU alcohol strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol-related harm. The report raises several issues including: labelling and warnings, binge-drinking, alcopops and reducing accidents caused by drinking and driving. The report was adopted by a large majority. To read the full dossier, look here.

4/9 Finland: Stakes-researchers discussed medium strength beer
In a mini seminar held at the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES) 3/9, alcohol researchers presented their views on possible consequences from introducing a medium strength beer in grocery stores . The suggestion of introducing a medium strength beer (tax group II) was made by Pekka Puska of the National public health institute as a solution to the damage resulting from the inclining alcohol consumption.

AUGUST 2007

JUNE 2007

12/6 Europe-wide Alcohol and Health Forum established
Alcohol and Health Forum, which currently consists of 40 businesses and non governmental organisations (NGOS), will aim to reduce excessive alcohol consumption particularly amongst young people. Read press release.

5/6 EC-Court: "The Prohibition of the Importation into Sweden of Alcoholic Beverages by Private Individuals is an Unjustified Quantitative Restriction on the Free Movement of Goods"
In the judgement of the Court of Justice in Case C-170/04 (the so called Rosengren case) the measures of the Swedish authorities are seen as inappropriate for attaining the objective of limiting alcohol consumption generally, and is descibed as "not proportionate for attaining the objective of protecting young persons from the harmful effects of alcohol". Read the press release here.

MAY 2007

24/5 Resolution for a global WHO alcohol strategy flopped
A Swedish resolution for a global strategy against alcohol has ended in a fiasco at WHO’s World Health Assembly in Geneva. In spite of support from many countries, Sweden failed yesterday to push through a resolution after opposition from alcohol-producing lands, with Cuba foremost. From the beginning 40 countries stood behind the Swedish resolution and Sweden got support from the Moslem world and from many European and African countries. But increasing opposition was then raised from Caribbean countries such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Many western countries were also unhappy that Sweden based its resolution on a report on the world’s alcohol problems that had not been published in its entirety – only a three-page summary.The question will next be taken up at the WHO’s Executive Board meeting in January 2008

2/5 More Swedes die of cirrhosis of the liver
The incresase in mortality due to cirrhosis of the liver has increased with 25 per cent among women and 10 per cent among men during the past six years. The amount of cirrhosis cases that with certainty can be explained by alcohol consumption has increased with 24 per cent among men and 50 per cent among women. Every year about five men and two women in every 100 000 inhabitants die of cirrhosis of the liver in Sweden. The statistics origins from Sorad and were presented in an article in Svenska Dagbladet 30.4.

APRIL 2007

30/4 Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Finland are among the ten best countries in OECD on alcohol policies, according to a study by New York Medical College
The study measured a variety of factors including availability of alcohol, prices and advertising. In testing the validity of it's index the study found a strong negative correlation that implied a decrease in consumption of one liter of absolute alcohol per year for each 10-point increase in the score. Please find the top 12 table and the article from the April issue of the journal Public Library of Science:"Comparative Analysis of Alcohol Control Policies in 30 Countries" by Donald A. Brand, Michaela Saisana, Lisa A. Rynn, Fulvia Pennoni & Albert B. Lowenfels

2/4 Norway: Wine turnover has doubled since 1995
The registered turnover of wine was 63.3 million litres in 2006, an increase of 2.3 million litres or 3.7 per cent from 2005. In the fourth quarter 2006 the registered turnover of wine rose by 4.4 per cent. Registered turnover of beer in Norway increased by 2.7 per cent or 6.6 million litres from 2005 to 2006. In the fourth quarter in 2006 the turnover of beer rose by 2.0 per cent compared to the same period in 2005. Turnover of spirits registered in Norway was 12.3 million litres, an increase of 346 000 litres or 2.9 per cent from 2005. From the fourth quarter in 2005 to the fourth quarter in 2006 the turnover of sprits rose by 5.3 per cent. View the statistics: Statistics Norway

MARCH 2007

14/3 The Europeans support warnings on alcohol bottles
Almost eight out of ten Europeans (77%) agree with putting warnings on alcohol bottles and adverts in order to warn pregnant women and drivers of the dangers of drinking alcohol, according to the results of the special Eurobarometer on Alcohol presented by the European Commission today. The survey reveals that European public opinion is, in general, supportive of measures aiming to protect vulnerable groups in society and to reduce alcohol-related road accidents.

5/3 Cutting tax on alcohol can dramatically increase sudden deaths involving alcohol
Finnish researchers have shown that cutting excise duty on retail sales of alcohol can have immediate repercussions on a nation’s health. When this was done in Finland in 2004, the rate of alcohol-related sudden deaths rose by 17%, or 8 deaths per week. The article "Alcohol tax cuts and increase in alcohol-positive sudden deaths—a time-series intervention analysis" by Anna Koski, Reino Sirén, Erkki Vuori & Kari Poikolainen was recently published in Addiction.

28/2 Nordic alcohol researchers to discuss alcohol policy options for Russia
This week Nordic alcohol researchers will participate in the seminar "Developing effective alcohol policy for Russia (World Experience and Russian Realities)" at the Russian Academy for Civil Service in Moscow. The seminar will discuss alcohol policy options for Russia. "The idea for organizing the seminar emerged from recent mortality studies, which show that the major part of abnormally high excessive mortality in the Northern Post-Soviet countries (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and, to less extent, the Baltic states) is related to alcohol abuse. For example, the direct and indirect alcohol related mortality in Russia is estimated at around 500,000 deaths annually. Thus, a number of experts in alcohol mortality and policy have decided to establish some academic activities which would not only consider alcohol related mortality and harm but also suggest some ways of overcoming these problems." writes the program committee.

FEBRUARY 2007

16/2 Sweden: New guidelines for treatment of substance abuse
The National Board of Health and Welfare has for the first time in history developed national guidelines for treatment of substance dependency and substance abuse intended both for the social care and the health care sector. The guidelines point out that substance abuse concerns various areas of society. A goal is to make the treatment system more clear and uniform.

5/2 Special issue of Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs concerning the alcohol industry
In October 2006 the EU Commission presented a communication for a strategy for reducing alcohol related harm in the EU region. The communication was immediately criticized for containing strong influences by the alcohol industry lobbying. "The lobbying by the alcohol industry is much more aggressive than the tobacco industry lobbying", says Kari Paaso at the Finnish Social- and Health Ministry, who has been working with alcohol policy matters at the Commission (DG Sanco) and in WHO. Paaso is one of several contributors to a special issue of the scientific journal Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (NAT), which discusses the alcohol industry. Other contributors are e.g. Robin Room, Peter Anderson, Ben Baumberg, Wim van Dalen, Anders Ulstein, Gabriel Romanus, Alicia Rodrígues-Martos, Norman Giesbrecht, Ann Hope, Marje Josing, Colin Drummond.

JANUARY 2007

15/1 "Alcohol prices should be raised by ten per cent"
The Finnish Minister of Health and Social Services Liisa Hyssälä wants to raise prices on alcohol with ten per cent. In inteviews in the newspapers Aamulehti and Turun Sanomat Hyssälä states that Finland has now achieved the goals set up when alcohol taxes were reduced in the spring of 2004. The aim of the government, lead by prime minister Vanhanen, was to put a bridle on the private import and the grey economy. In 2005 the alcohol consumption was 10,5 litres pure alcohol per citizen, which shows an increase of one litre since the tax reduction back in 2003. The treatment periods for alcohol-related diseases in hospitals and health care centers have increased with 14 per cent since 2003.

10/1 The Swedish government to propose raise of alcopops taxes in spring 2007
A bill regarding the taxation of alcopop-drinks will be proposed by the government during the spring of 2007, according to MP Lena Asplund (m), who is a member of the parliament's tax committee. An agreement was reached already back in 2005 by the proceeding government, but there has been some uncertainty regarding how to classify alcopops as products. Now the technical obstacles have been cleared, according to ST.nu and a proposition is on its way.

DECEMBER 2006

20/12 Weekend consumption is a strengthened pattern in Norway
In 2004, 62 per cent of the Norwegian drinking occasions took place during Friday and Saturday. In 1973 the corresponding share was 46 per cent. The Norwegian reseracher Øyvind Horverak, Sirus, has analyzed questionnares from between 1973 and 2004 to find out how the drinking patterns have changed. Read the whole artcle: "Det norske drikkemønsteret – under endring?" (in Norwegian)

17/12 Alcohol imports worry Höybråten
The next President of the Nordic Council, Dagfinn Höybråten (NOR), is worried about increasing imports of alcohol into the Nordic Region. Read article on norden.org

15/12 The Swedish Government to Sell V&S Group
The Swedish government has confirmed that it is planning to sell off V&S Group. The centre-right government, which came to power in September, officially announced that V&S is among the six state-controlled companies that are being privatised. The Swedish temperance organisation IOGT-NTO welcomes the decision, since it feels that the state should not be involved in the kind of commersial activities with alcohol that V&S represent.

9/12 Finland: The alcohol consumption is higher than ever before
The National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES) has published its Yearbook of Alcohol and Drug Statistics 2006. In 2005 the alcohol consumption was 10,5 litres pure alcohol per citizen, which shows an increase of one litre since the tax reduction back in 2003. The treatment periods for alcohol-related diseases in hospitals and health care centers have increased with 14 per cent since 2003.

2/12 The strategy was discussed in the EU Council of Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs
The council meeting took place 30.11-1.12.2006 in Brussels. A policy debate was held on the Commissions Alcohol Strategy, after which conclusions were adopted.

NOVEMBER 2006

24/11 EC Court: The buyer is to pay the excise duty for alcohol beverages ordered through the Internet
Only products acquired and transported personally by private individuals are exempt from excise duty in the member state of importation, the EC Court of Justice ruled 23.11.06. The court stated that according to EU-rules only goods imported for personal use avoid excise duty in the buyer’s homeland. Countries like Sweden and Finland have been waiting for a ruling of this kind, since millions of liters of alcohol is stored in the customs waiting for directions on how to proceed in the taxation matter.

22/11 Bridging the Gap Helsinki conference ended today
Bridging the Gap’s European Alcohol Policy-conference ended today (22.11) in Helsinki with a roundtable discussion about the challenges of the European alcohol policy. During the conference different alcohol policy matters were discussed, among others economical aspects, differences between the countries, young people’s drinking habits, alcohol and, pregnancy and warning labels on alcohol beverages.