Strasbourg, 07/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 5 September, the European Parliament sitting in plenary session, adopted the report by Alessandro Foglietta (UEN, Italy) giving its unreserved support to the strategy, put forward by the Commission, on reducing alcohol-related harm.
This strategy is centred on protecting young people and tackling drink driving. Although supporting this approach, the Parliament nonetheless called on the Commission, while remaining mindful of the principle of subsidiarity, to draw up an ambitious list of general targets. MEPs called on member states to give particular attention to children, young people and pregnant women, and to address the problems of “harmful” alcohol consumption by young people, workers and drivers.
The report adopted recommends the exchange of information and best practice among member states, and the collection of data in the EU, particularly on the links between blood-alcohol levels and road accidents, between alcohol consumption and liver disease and neuro-psychological illnesses.
MEPs felt that consumers should be better informed about the risks involved in hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption. Although some member states have warnings carried on labels, the Foglietta report called on the Commission to evaluate the effectiveness of the various means of communication, and especially labelling, and to bring forward an exhaustive study by 2010 on the forms of hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption, the types of behaviour that create dependence and the causes of this kind of behaviour.
MEPs were also concerned by the increase in alcohol consumption among young people, especially since this behaviour was tending to begin at ever younger ages. They called on the Commission and member states to launch information campaigns, to be implemented by member states and interest groups, on the risks associated with alcohol abuse, to restrict the selling and serving of alcopops to young people, to ensure that public transport is available, to encourage the extension of designated driver schemes and also to set up a European prize for the best campaign warning school pupils and young people of the dangers of alcohol abuse.
With regard to drink driving, the report recommends a substantial increase in the numbers of breath tests carried out, heavier penalties for driving while under the influence of alcohol, the launch, in collaboration with interest groups, of independent and impartial education campaigns in member states and the promotion of concrete action and programmes as part of the “Alcohol and health” forum proposed by the European Commission.
In a press release published after the vote, Françoise Grossetête (EPP-ED, France) said that the report was not intended to “demonise the moderate alcohol consumption of wine (save by pregnant women) which is part of our culture and traditions, but to tackle alcohol abuse”. (ol)