European Alcohol and Health Forum

This article is part of the Spinwatch public health oriented Alcohol Portal project.

Background

The European Alcohol and Health Forum is the platform that constitutes European Commission’s ‘EU Strategy to Support Member States in Reducing Alcohol Related Harm’. The forum is part of the EU strategy to tackle alcohol related harm and the economic and social consequences of excessive alcohol consumption. Since 2001 the Council of Ministers has expressed the need for a comprehensive EU level strategy, but according to EUROCARE,

despite the efforts and mobilisation of both DG Sanco and Europe’s public health community to protect the health and well being of European citizens, the final strategy reflected the alcohol industry’s intensive and unprecedented lobbying campaign...Participation in the Forum and voluntary commitment to concrete action, is crucial for these sections of the alcohol industry, in order to regain credibility, promote corporate social responsibility, and above all, avoid the implementation of EU level legislation.

The Forum

More than 40 businesses and non-governmental organisations, responding to a European Commission initiative, agreed on 7 June 2007 to take action to protect European citizens from the harmful use of alcohol. EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou and representatives of the businesses and NGOs signed in Brussels the Charter establishing the European Alcohol and Health Forum. The forum is based on the format of the European Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health established in 2005 by the then European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou who has been open to the idea of self-regulation centred on setting up multi-stakeholder groups.

The Forum, scheduled to meet twice a year, will focus on concrete actions to protect children and young people from alcohol related harm and to prevent irresponsible commercial alcohol communication and sales. The move comes at a time when an estimated 200,000 Europeans die every year because of harmful alcohol use. More than one out of four deaths among young men is attributed to alcohol.

At the forum's launch EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: "My expectations for this Forum are high, as they need to be given the health challenge posed by alcohol related harm. In particular I expect the alcoholic beverages industry to market their products responsibly. The media, advertisers, retailers, as well as owners of pubs and bars should also contribute to changing attitudes and behaviours, especially among young people. We simply cannot afford to see so many young European lives being wasted every year because of the inappropriate use of alcohol."

The Forum, hosted by DG Sanco, is modelled on the EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, launched in March 2005. It focuses on concrete ‘commitments’ for action, which will be assessed, monitored and evaluated with the assistance of a Science Group. The ‘Committee on National Policy and Action’, a structure separate to the Forum composed of Member States representatives, will coordinate national alcohol policies and ensure translational exchange of good practice.

Platform for Action

It was hoped that the forum would become a 'platform for action' on alcohol related harm. The forum has three working groups; a science group that provides expertise, support and guidance on scientific matters, a task force on youth related aspects of alcohol and a task force on marketing and communication.

Reaction to the Strategy

The forum has received a mixed reaction from stakeholders and forum members. EUROCARE believe the overall strategy to be very weak, although they welcome any opportunity to work within European policy circles in order to combat excessive European alcohol consumption and related harms. EUROCARE also expressed disappointment that the alcohol industry and other parts of the commission "have ensured that the strategy reflects the undue influence of the alcohol industry, which has been responsible for one of the most intensive lobbying campaigns ever known in regard to public health policy".

According to Dr Peter Anderson, author of the Alcohol in Europe report, "The alcohol industry has lobbied to put their own profits above the needs of the European people, with commission officials other than those directly involved with health issues surrendering to its pressure". He also regards the proposed EU alcohol policy as "much weaker than the first draft and has a much greater focus on education as the answer to solving the problems of alcohol, when the evidence shows that it does not work. Andrew McNeill, Honorary Secretary of EUROCARE said "We regret to see the industry’s paw prints are all over the Communication", adding "Given that the industry has made it abundantly clear that it is opposed to the whole idea of a public health strategy on alcohol, how can it possibly be seen as a main collaborator in implementing it".

Commissioner Markos Kyprianou rejected the criticism and denied that the alcohol industry had in effect watered down the findings, "The communication came out the way it was intended to,”. However even Kypriano had to admit to being "surprised at the aggressiveness of the lobbying campaign by certain parts of the alcohol industry".

The European Spirits Organisation were, unsurprisingly, more positive, their press release announcing their place at the forum, "Having played an important role in the cross-stakeholder dialogue leading up to the creation of the Forum, EU spirits producers look forward to playing an active and fully participatory part in this body and hope that commitments made under its governance will receive the recognition and backing they deserve from EU officials, national Health Ministries and others." They believe that self regulation is the way forward, a view echoed by the alcohol industry and numerous advertising associations with forum membership.

The Comite European des Enterprises Vins wine and health working group chairman, George Sandeman, said the committee was "convinced that there is a business case for a healthy Europe and that wine is a part of it" ^[1]. While the UK Wine & Spirit Trade Association chief executive Jeremy Beadles summed up the general mood of the alcohol industry “We are particularly pleased to see that the Communication has no specific plans related to alcohol taxation or product labelling and recognises the importance of joint industry - government work at a national level. Officials in DG Sanco, the EU Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General, have obviously listened to our concerns in these areas" ^[2]

Members

To become a member of the forum organisations are required to demonstrate their commitment to take action in a written submission. Members must put forward their plans for action with details of the proposed objectives with details of how the organisation will evaluate and monitor the progress towards fulfilling their commitment to reduce alcohol related harm.

Mixed Reaction to Strategy

• Founding Members

Advertising Information Group|Association of European Cancer Leagues|Association of Small and Independent Breweries|Association of Television and Radio Sales Houses (egta)|Comite European des Enterprises Vins (CEEV)|Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations in the EU General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives in the EU (COPA-COGECA) |EUROCARE |EUROCOMMERCE|European Association of Communications Agencies|European Federation of Associations of Beer and Beverages Wholesalers (CEGROBB)|European Federation of Magazine Publishers (FAEP)|European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA)|European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD)|European Midwives Association (EMA)|European Mutual Help Network for individuals and families with Alcohol Related Problems (EMNA)|European Public Health Alliance|European Publishers Council (EPC)|European Sponsorship Association (ESA)|European Transport Safety Council|European Youth Forum|Institute de Recherches Scientifiques sur les boissons alcoolisees (IREB)|International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP)|ReLeaf|Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME)|The Brewers of Europe|The European Spirits Organisation|World Federation of Advertisers

• Members January 2012

Active - sobriety, friendship and peace | The Swedish Youth Temperance Association | Advertising Information Group (Zentralverband der deutschen Werbewirtschaft and Fachverband Werbung und Marktkommunikation Österreich) | Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland | Alcohol Policy Youth Network | Association of European Cancer Leagues | Association of European Professional Football Leagues | German Football League | Association of small and independent breweries in Europe | Association of Television and Radio Sales Houses | Brewers of Europe | Anheuser-Busch InBev | Heineken (International) | SABMiller | Comité Européen des Entreprises Vin | Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations in the EU General Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives in the EU (COPA-COGECA) | EUROCARE | Alcohol Action Ireland | Association Nationale de Prévention en Alcoologie et Addictologie (ANPAA) | EUROCARE Italia | Estonian Temperance Union | German Centre for Addiction Issues (DHS) | Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) | IOGT-NTO | National Foundation for Alcohol Prevention (STAP) | Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network (NordAN) | EUROCOMMERCE | British Retail Consortium | Delhaize Group | Royal Ahold | European Association of Communication Agencies (EACA) | European Association for the Study of the Liver | European Cider and Fruit Wine Association (AICV) | European Federation of Associations of Beer and Beverages Wholesalers (CEGROBB) | European Federation of Magazine Publishers (FAEP) | European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD) | European Midwives Association (EMA) | European Mutual Help Network for individuals and families with Alcohol Related Problems (EMNA) | European Public Health Alliance | Royal College of Physicians, London | European Publishers Council (EPC) | European Social Insurance Platform (ESIP) | European Spirits Organisation (CEPS) | Bacardi-Martini | Brown-Forman | Diageo | Moët Hennessy | Pernod-Ricard S.A. | The Absolut Company (also known as V&S Group) | The Scotch Whisky Association | European Sponsorship Association (ESA) | European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) | European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) | European Travel Retail Council (ETRC) | European Youth Forum | National Youth Council of Ireland | HOTREC | British Beer and Pub Association | Finnish Hospitality Organisation (MaRa) | Swedish Hotel and Restaurant Association (SHR) | Institute de Recherches Scientifiques sur les boissons alcoolisees (IREB) | International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) | International Federation of Medical Students Associations | ReLeaf (European Young Persons’ Network for Drug and Alcohol Health Promotion) | Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) | United European Gastroenterology Federation (UEGF) | World Federation of Advertisers (WFA)

• Affiliated Members 2007

Alcohol Action Ireland|Association Nationale de Prevention en Alcoologie et Addictologie (ANPAA)|Eurocare Italia|Estonian Temperance Union|German Centre for Addiction Issues (DHS)|Institute of Alcohol Studies|British Retail Consortium|Royal College of Physicians London|National Youth Council of Ireland|Heineken (International)|InBev|SABMiller|Bacardi-Martini|Brown-Forman|Diageo|Moet Hennessy|Pernod Ricard S.A.|The Scotch Whisky Association|V&S Group|Delhaize Group|Royal Ahold|National Foundation for Alcohol Prevention (STAP)|IOGT-NTO

• Signing Observers The European Parliament | The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) The World Health Organisation (WHO)
• Founding Observers The Committee of the Regions | EU Member States | EEA/EFTA Member States