Latest news with #alcohol products
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Warning labels on alcohol an idea from ‘different time', Minister warned Cabinet colleague
Plans to require health warnings on alcohol products were thought up in a 'very different' time to the current period of global economic uncertainty, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke privately warned a Cabinet colleague. The Government is expected to delay requirements for alcohol products to carry warnings about the links between alcohol consumption, liver disease and cancer. The mandatory health labelling had been due to be introduced next year, but it is expected will now not come into force until 2029. In a May 15th letter, Mr Burke asked Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to consider pushing back the health labelling plans in light of the 'profound' risk Ireland was facing from the current global economic uncertainty. READ MORE The idea for health warning labels on alcohol was 'developed at a time when geopolitical economic pressures were very different to those being experienced at present', he told Ms Carroll MacNeill. The danger of US president Donald Trump 's sweeping tariff threats starting a transatlantic trade war with the European Union is causing significant concern inside Government including on its impact on Irish exports of whiskey and other alcohol products. Mr Burke appealed to his Fine Gael colleague to take these new circumstances into account and 'pause' plans for alcohol labelling. 'Recent months have seen significant global economic uncertainty and a rapidly shifting trading landscape – which you will be aware could have profound competitiveness implications for small open economies like Ireland,' he wrote. The fact Mr Burke had asked Ms Carroll MacNeill to delay the introduction of the labelling was previously reported but this is the first time the contents of his letter have been reported. [ Delay on health labelling on alcohol comes amid uncertain trading environment Opens in new window ] A copy of his letter to the Minister for Health – released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act – said the new labelling rules would lead to higher prices for consumers. 'The proposed measures will mean increased production and sale costs for Irish producers and importers, and add to the price payable by consumers, at a time when prices are also rising due to a multitude of other factors,' Mr Burke wrote. This would come at the same time companies and producers were already seeing 'very significant disruption' to their supply chains, he said. 'Notwithstanding the overarching health benefits of the proposal, I would ask you to consider pausing the introduction of the proposed new requirements,' the correspondence said. It is expected a decision will be taken at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to defer the new rules for several years. In his letter, Mr Burke said Ireland's plans had faced pushback from other EU governments, as it was believed the labelling rules would hamper the movement of trade and goods within the bloc's single market. There had also been intense lobbying from the drinks industry, over the 'likely negative impact on sales and costs,' he said.
Irish Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Delay on health labelling on alcohol comes amid uncertain trading environment
The expected deferral of health labelling on alcohol products is a signal of just how nervous the Government is about the present trading and economic environment. At a time when businesses and exporters are facing unprecedented uncertainty about trading conditions, Ministers were reluctant to add another cost for something many say is important, but fewer believe is urgent. [ Health labelling on alcoholic drinks set to be deferred until 2029 ] The planned introduction of the law next year would have made Ireland the first country in the world to insist on health warnings on bottles containing alcoholic drinks. Retailers would be obliged to ensure every container that contains alcohol carries the messages that 'drinking alcohol causes liver disease' and 'there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers'. READ MORE Insiders say the decision to postpone, likely to be approved by Cabinet next week, is also testament to the fierce lobbying by the drinks industry in recent months. This took place at many levels, not least of which was the trade forum convened by Tánaiste Simon Harris to discuss business fears and to suggest ways of addressing them. The issue of alcohol labelling has been raised at every single meeting, one person familiar with the issue says. In his letter to the members of the trade forum on Tuesday, Mr Harris acknowledged this. 'Members of the forum also raised the issue regarding alcohol labelling and its potential impact,' Harris said. 'The Government will consider this matter next week. We are fully committed to the implementation of this public health policy. However, it is imposing costs on businesses at a time of great challenge and the Government is reflecting on that.' Indeed, insiders say the decision to defer the introduction of alcohol labelling has been inevitable for some time. Ministers have been muttering in public for months about 'looking at this issue again'. In private, many were a good deal more forthright. But various elements of the drinks industry had been lobbying against the measures since long before it was legislated for two years ago, but they failed to stop it. So what changed in recent months? According to people involved in the issue in Government, it was the transformed environment due to US president Donald Trump's import tariffs that proved decisive in persuading the Ministers to back a deferral of the measure until 2029. Alcohol products – whether US bourbon, Irish whiskey or French wine – have been touted by both sides as potential targets in a trade war. Suddenly, it seemed like a bad time to be piling additional costs on producers and retailers. For anti-alcohol campaigners, the news will be a bitter blow. 'The eyes of the world are on Ireland,' Prof Frank Murray, chair of Alcohol Action Ireland , wrote in The Irish Times earlier this year. That may be all the more true now.
