Delayed Commission report on alcohol labelling frustrates beer industry

EurActiv reported in March 2015 on the uncertainty around labelling alcoholoic beverages.

New nutrition labelling regulations for food and drinks came into force in December 2014, but the lack of agreement over the definition of alcopop - a mixture of alcholoc drinks with soft juices - left alcoholic beverages outside these rules.

While the European Commission had been given until December 2014 to define alcopop and to deliver a report about how alcoholic beverages should be treated under the regulation, nothing had yet been published.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Food: EU consumers to benefit from better labelling as of 13 December 2014 http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-food-eu-consumers-to-benefit-from-better-labelling-as-of-13-december-2014/

ESO: Background information: MEPs push for alcohol strategy on the EU's health agenda http://www.europeansources.info/record/meps-push-for-alcohol-strategy-on-the-eus-health-agenda/

EurActiv, 01.04.15: Commission applauds beer industry's move on labelling http://www.euractiv.com/sections/alcohol-eus-policies/commission-applauds-beer-industrys-move-labelling-313408

EurActiv, 13.04.15: EU moves closer to counting calories in alcoholic drinks http://www.euractiv.com/sections/health-consumers/eu-moves-closer-counting-calories-alcoholic-drinks-313711

Beverage Daily, 01.04.15: ‘Let’s inform, not mislead:’ Calorie labelling on alcoholic beverages could see spirits suffer, says Spirits Europe http://www.beveragedaily.com/Regulation-Safety/Let-s-inform-not-mislead-Calorie-labelling-on-alcoholic-beverages-could-see-spirits-suffer-says-Spirits-Europe

European Parliament: Newsroom: Press Release, 27.04.15: Alcohol: the risks of excessive consumption http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20150424STO46092/

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