In the wake of the Scottish government giving its approval to minimum pricing of alcohol products, the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI), which represents drinks firms in Ireland, has called on the Irish government to 'exercise caution' over its possible implementation in Ireland.
“In December, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) held that Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) is not precluded by EU law if it is considered to be an appropriate and proportionate public health response which cannot be achieved by other measures," said ABFI director Ross Mac Mathúna.
"However, ultimately the final test on whether or not MUP meets this condition rests with national courts in EU member states”.
Mac Mathúna asked that the government be "mindful of the border with Northern Ireland" when considering the introduction of MUP in Ireland, especially given the recent Brexit.
"With the decline in the value of sterling post the Brexit vote, cross border shopping is on the increase and raising the price of alcohol in the Republic on a unilateral basis would further exacerbate this while doing little to address harm".
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
