Select Committee on European Scrutiny Second Report


11 Reducing alcohol-related harm

(27993)

14851/06

COM(06) 625

+ ADD 1


+ ADD 2

+ ADD 3

Commission Communication : An EU strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol-related harm

Commission staff working document: Report on the implementation of the Council Recommendation of 5 June 2001 on the drinking of alcohol by young people, in particular children and adolescents

Commission staff working document: summary of Impact Assessment

Commission staff working document: Impact assessment of the Commission Communication

Legal base
Document originated24 October 2006
Deposited in Parliament10 November 2006
DepartmentHealth
Basis of considerationEM of 20 November 2006
Previous Committee ReportNone
To be discussed in Council30 November 2006
Committee's assessmentPolitically important
Committee's decisionCleared

Background

11.1 In 2001, the Council adopted a Recommendation which urged Member States to take action to deter the illegal sale of alcohol to children and adolescents and to educate young people, parents, teachers and others about the harmful effects on young people of drinking alcohol.[23] The Recommendation also invited the Commission to make periodic reports on the action taken by Member States.

11.2 In June 2001, the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council invited the Commission to make proposals for a comprehensive Community strategy, to complement national policies, to reduce alcohol-related harm. The invitation was repeated by the Council in June 2004.

11.3 Article 152 of the EC Treaty provides for Community action, to complement national policies, to improve public health and prevent disease by encouraging cooperation between Member States and supporting their action. The Article expressly states that Community action on public health must respect the responsibility of the Member States for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care.

The document

11.4 The Communication contains the Commission's response to the Council's request for proposals for a strategy.

11.5 The Commission recognises that public attitudes to alcohol consumption vary between Member States. It does not propose that Community action should replace national policies:

"In particular, the Commission does not intend as a consequence of this Communication to propose the development of harmonised legislation in the field of the prevention of alcohol-related harm.

"This Communication aims at mapping actions which have already been put in place by the Commission and Member States, and identifies on the one hand good practices which have led to positive results, and on the other areas of socio-economic importance and Community relevance where further progress could be made.

"The Communication also explains how the Commission can further support and complement national public health policies … This commitment from the Commission to further pursue and develop actions under its competences together with a list of good practices which have already been implemented in different Member States and the establishment of an Alcohol and Health Forum which will help their dissemination, will constitute the backbone of a comprehensive strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm in Europe."[24]

11.6 The Communication is supported by:

  • a country-by-country report on the implementation of the 2001 Recommendation on the drinking of alcohol by young people (ADD 1);
  • an assessment of the impact of the Communication (ADD 3); and
  • a summary of the assessment (ADD 2).

11.7 The Commission sets out what it sees as the case for Community action in section 3 of the Communication and section 5 of ADD 2. It notes, for example, that harmful consumption of alcohol has a major effect not only on public health itself but also on health insurance, law enforcement, public order, safety at work, productivity and economic performance. Excessive consumption is the cause of or is linked to:

  • 7.4% of all ill-health and early death in the EU;
  • over 10% of the deaths of women aged 15 to 29;
  • 29% of the deaths of men aged 15 to 29;
  • one traffic accident in four;
  • the death of 10,000 people a year in road accidents; and
  • brain damage to the foetuses of women who drink too much.

11.8 The Commission also notes that the proportion of young people with harmful or hazardous patterns of alcohol consumption has increased over the last ten years. It says that:

"The highest numbers of binge-drinking amongst 15-16 year olds are reported in Ireland (32%), the Netherlands (28%), the United Kingdom (27%), Malta (25%) and Sweden (25%). Countries with the lowest binge drinking figures are Hungary (8%), France (9%), Cyprus (10%), Romania (11%), Poland (11%) and Greece (11%)."[25]

11.9 The Commission has identified five "priority themes" which, in its view, are relevant to all Member States and would add value to national policies. The five priorities are as follows:

  • Protect young people, children and the unborn child.
  • Reduce injuries and deaths from alcohol-related road traffic accidents.
  • Prevent alcohol-related harm among adults and reduce the negative impact on the workplace.
  • Inform, educate and raise awareness about the impact of harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption, and on appropriate consumption patterns.
  • Develop, support and maintain a common evidence base.

11.10 The Communication sets out, for each priority, its aims, the "rationale for action" and a paragraph on "good practice". For example, the Commission says that the aim of the fourth priority is to increase EU citizens' awareness of the effect of excessive alcohol consumption on health. The rationale for action on the priority is as follows:

"Citizens have a right to obtain relevant information on the health impact, and in particular on the risks and consequences related to harmful and hazardous consumption of alcohol, and to obtain more detailed information on added ingredients that may be harmful to the health of certain groups of consumers. Moderate alcohol consumption appears to offer some protection against coronary heart disease in older people (45 and over depending on gender and individual differences."[26]

The passage on good practice says:

"Lifestyle choices at a young age predetermine health as an adult. This makes children and young people — as well as their parents — an important target group for health education and awareness raising interventions. Broad and carefully implemented health and life-skills education programmes, beginning in early childhood and ideally continued throughout adolescence, can raise awareness and have an impact on risk behaviour. Such interventions should address both risk factors such as alcohol and periods of risk, such as adolescence, and protective factors [that is] changes of lifestyles and behaviours … ."[27]

11.11 The Communication says that Member States have the main responsibility for action and that the Commission's role is:

  • to provide, at EU and Member State levels, information about the major public health issues raised by alcohol abuse;
  • to raise awareness of the issues;
  • to cooperate with Member States and stakeholders (such as alcohol manufacturers and retailers, employers' organisations, public bodies, experts and NGOs) in addressing the issues;
  • to take action at EU level on matters within the Commission's competence, particularly though programmes such the 7th Framework Programme on Research and Development and the Public Health Programme;
  • to identify and disseminate good practice; and
  • to support and coordinate action by the Member States.

11.12 Section 6.1 of the Communication lists action the Commission intends to take and section 6.2 gives examples of the action Member States are taking.

11.13 The Commission attaches particular importance to its intention to set up an Alcohol and Health Forum by June 2007. The Forum will bring together experts from industry, voluntary bodies, Member States, EC agencies and others. Its objective will be to support, contribute to and monitor the implementation of the strategy proposed in the Communication.

11.14 The Commission will also work with alcohol producers, retailers, the media and advertisers to promote good self-regulation and to reach agreement on a code of "commercial communication" on, for example, advertising and sales.

11.15 The Commission will produce regular reports on the implementation of the strategy.

The Government's view

11.16 The Minister of State for Public Health at the Department of Health (Caroline Flint) tells us that the Government broadly welcomes the Communication. She says that the Commission's proposals are mainly in line with current UK policies to reduce alcohol-related harm and encourage sensible drinking.

11.17 The 2004 Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England has four main themes: improving health and treatment; education and communication; tackling crime and disorder; and working with the drinks industry on communication and corporate responsibility.

11.18 The Scottish Executive will shortly publish its updated Plan for Action on Alcohol Problems. The Executive is also working with the alcohol industry to tackle the health and social harm associated with excessive drinking.

11.19 Earlier this year, Northern Ireland launched its New Strategic Direction for Alcohol and Drugs 2006-11. Action on under-age drinking and on alcohol-related anti-social behaviour are among its main priorities.

11.20 Alcohol is part of the Welsh Assembly Government's substance misuse strategy.

11.21 The Minister welcomes the Commission's intention to set up the Alcohol and Health Forum. The Forum will provide a useful opportunity for the Government to strengthen its work with the alcohol industry on responsible advertising and marketing and to influence good practice in the EU. The Minister says that the Government aims to use the Forum to explain, for example, why it considers that information campaigns are best developed at Member State level; and that targeted breath tests are a more efficient use of police resources than random breath testing.

Conclusion

11.22 The Commission has produced this Communication in response to an express request from the Council for proposals for a "strategy" to reduce alcohol-related harm. It is not apparent to us why an EU strategy is needed. Clearly, there is benefit in exchanging information and disseminating good practice. And it makes sense to use the Community's Research Programme to commission work on alcohol-related research projects. But that does not add up to anything so grand as a strategy. Moreover, as the passages we have quoted illustrate, the Communication does not seem to us to offer any new insights or propose any significant new action except, perhaps, the creation of the Alcohol and Health Forum.

11.23 Because of the importance of the subject, we draw the Communication to the attention of the House but we see no need to keep it under scrutiny.





23   Council Recommendation 2001/458/EC on the drinking of alcohol by young people, in particular children and adolescents: OJ No. L 161, 16.6.01, p.38. Back

24   Commission Communication, Section 1, page 4. Back

25   ADD 2, page 5. Back

26   Commission Communication, section 5.4.1, page 11. Back

27   Commission Communication, section 5.4.2, page 11. Back


 
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Prepared 11 December 2006