For decades, Sweden's liquor stores were few and far between and had the look of hospital pharmacies. They closed by six on weekdays and never opened on weekends. Choice was limited and prices high. These measures were imposed to discourage the consumption of alcohol in a nation with a history of abuse going back to the miseries of 19th century industrialization, when the availability of cheap liquor led to widespread abuse. But these days, the restrictions are disappearing. Some liquor stores are open late and on Saturdays. A few have been remade into cheerfully decorated self-service stores. And wine lovers can delight in a wide selection. The tax on beer is down. The tax on wine is expected to follow, and there are some who say that even the high taxes on hard liquor will go eventually. Piece by piece, Sweden is being forced to take apart its anti-alcohol policies because most of them violate the European Union's fair competition rules. Some contend that if Swedish voters had fully understood how entry into the European Union would loosen the state's grip on alcohol, the country might not have joined. Alcohol consumption is on the rise, and some worry how far it will go. "I'm just not sure that Sweden is ready for this," said Sonia Ostergen, the manager of the state's dreary liquor store in the Stockholm suburb of Sundbyber. "Cheaper beer and wine, maybe. But I don't think it should be easier to get hard liquor. " Experts say that what is happening in Sweden over alcohol policy is in many ways a prime example of the difficulties the European Union faces as it tries to extend its reach and harmonize policies. Stretching from freezing climates to desert regions and incorporating vastly different cultures, the Union is seeing that what may be a market commodity in one country is a health issue in another. "On this issue, we can't even really understand each other," said Dr. Gunar Agren, the executive manager of Sweden's National Institute of Health. "We just see things very differently and in fact we have different problems with alcohol. "Here we come from a tradition of drinking where people beat each other up and even get killed over drinking. While their southern counterparts have more long-term health problems associated with drinking, the Swedish drinking pattern leads to high rates of violence, accidents, suicide, homicide and addiction, experts say. "The Nordic style of drinking is problematic," said Robin Room, an expert on alcoholism at the Center for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs in Stockholm. "People here value intoxication. You hear people here say they are going to get drunk this weekend, which you do not hear in southern European countries. In the South, they drink, in many cases, more, but it is a quiet problem. Here it produces very public social problems." The Swedes have until 2004 to match the rest of the Union's member countries. But officials hope that they can influence the rest of the European Union to see alcohol as a health problem. Increasingly, the southern countries, too, are seeing a rise in binge drinking among the youth. In the meantime, Swedish officials have fashioned a new anti-alcohol plan that focuses on education, including programs for pregnant women, tough drunken driving laws, tougher regulations governing serving drinks to minors and a ban on liquor advertising. Yet even the ban on advertising is under attack. In early March, the European Court of Justice ruled that the ban was an obstacle to the free movement of services within Union countries and therefore contravened the European Union treaty. (International Herlad Tribune March 29, 2001)
Alcoholic drinks should carry a European Union-wide health warning said the German health minister. "We need to tell people in a more comprehensive way of the dangers of drugs, tobacco and alcohol." (FT 23/8/99)
The European Union argues that the terms Port and Sherry can only be applied products from specific regions of Spain and Portugal, and is insisting that South African producers stop using them. But Pretoria says they are generic terms that have been used for hundreds of years and claims that changing them will cost up to 10,000 jobs. South African negotiators agreed to abandon the two terms on goods destined for export, but insisted on using them for the home market. (European Voice 28 January 1999). Sherry is an English word and does not exist in the Spanish language. It is a word used to refer to a fortified wine. These wines come for many parts of the world, some of the best from Spain, were it is referred to as "Jerez". It is, therefore, up to the English to decide where, and by whom the word should be used. (Financial Times letter 6 February 1999)
The Labour Chancellor is busy making our cider industry pay yet more tax to appease the Italians. Buried deeply in the largely incomprehensible text of the recent budget was a sneaky little measure that will tax traditional cider and Perry made by the champagne method in order to bring them into line with Italian sparkling wines. This is intended to address the problem of some inferior copycat products but because they are all of the mushroom-cap type, cider and perry have been swept up in this catch-all measure. Despite vigorous lobbying of the government to explain this anomaly by the Guild of Craft Cider and Perry Makers, based in Leominster, the tax remains and is a serious blow for those producers in Herefordshire involved in the specialist end of the market, or wishing to consider it in the future. (Hereford Times 25 March 1999)
The excise duty on sparkling cider above 7.5% specific gravity was substantially increased in accordance with EU directive. The origin of this increase stems from a protest by producers are cheap Italian wines who claimed that a British drinks maker was passing off his product made with pear juice as an Italian sparkling wine. The EC ordered a punitive increase in excise duties. This had the effect of penalising a small number of craft cider producers who have revived the production of high-quality sparkling cider, fermented in the bottle. It also forced Bulmers to reduce the alcohol level in the popular Pomagne sparkling Perry wine. The government agreed with this measure which, as the Economist said, at a stroke wiped out a small rule craft industry of the type the DTI and MAFF seek to protect with grants. (Information from Bulmers and Hansard, 10 March 1999)
When an amateur dramatic society applied for a license to sell wine at their performances they were told that under a new Euro-ruling they had to display the prices of six Community-controlled wines. (S Telegraph 21/9/97)
Spa water from Llandrindod Wells is banned for human consumption because the minerals which give it its unique properties exceed the EU Drinking Water Directive 80/778 (S Telegraph 1/5/95)
Scotch whisky distilleries may be forced to replace their traditional earth floors. (CEC). Denied by CEC, which says that earth floors are acceptable provided that they are watertight, non-absorbent, easily washable and non-toxic. Distillers could apply for a derogation against this rule. The distillers will have to spend millions of pounds on cooling the slightly warm water discharged into streams even though fish thrive by the outlets. Distillers have to spend £20m putting hazard signs on all whisky casks because whisky is classed as a dangerous chemical. A ban on the transport of whisky for the same reason has been temporarily overturned. (The European Parliament voted against this rule so, for the time being, it need not apply (CEC Sept 95)). Each load of draff, or wet grain, fed to cattle has to be chemically analysed and weighed to conform to EU rules. (S Telegraph 5/3/95)
British Sherry and Cyprus Sherry will no longer be allowed to be called Sherry. These products have been sold under their traditional names for generations. (BBC R4 farming Programme 21/12/95)
British spring water companies, which have enjoyed a boom in the last five years, will have their business ruined by the Mineral Water Directive. Spring water is at particular risk. All spring water has to be bottled at source yet many companies put it in bottles a few miles form the source, or sell it to companies who add flavour and sell it under their own label. In future spring water can only be marketed under one brand name. One company supplying seven customers has considered drilling seven separate bore holes but this would cost a needless £1m. 150 jobs will be destroyed in this company alone. (FT 2/5/96)
The Visiting Forces Act 1952 allowed UK-based Commonwealth troops to enjoy duty free drink and other tax free perks. EU directives restrict relief from VAT and excise duties to Nato forces only. The Treasury asked the EU Commission for a derogation for Commonwealth forces but this was refused. Commonwealth troops face a £1m tax bill. (Independent 26/12/96)
The Home Office published a draft regulation allowing off-licence holders to sell wine at social events. It has had to withdraw the regulation because it is incompatible with European law. It would not give an equivalent opportunity to licensees in other European countries who might be as well qualified as licensees from England and Wales. (S Telegraph 29/11/98)
As part of the review of the Common Agricultural Policy, ostensibly to reduce costs and subsidies, the EU is to increase the subsidy to wine producers by 30% to £870m. The proposal will cause friction with the US, Australia and other countries already concerned about EU agricultural subsidies. (FT15/6/98)
A Hampshire firm imports quality wines from South Africa. It had a letter from the Wine Standards Board about two of their wines made in the Franschoek Valley in the Cape, by a vineyard called La Provence, winner of 51 awards for quality. The EC has decided, he was informed, that the name of the vineyard conflicts with the French appellations controlee. The Secretary general of the EC has directed that the name La Provence be removed from the labels. This was to avoid confusion, even though the labels clearly stated the wine was South African. The law was to protect French winegrowers from cheap imitations. Actually the wine is better than any wine made in Provence itself. The vineyard was set up by French Huguenots 300 years ago; it has had to change its name (Sunday Telegraph 18/10/98)
A British wine maker has been fined £4,500 for mistakenly selling a dessert wine with peach flavour as a wine. It should have been sold as fermented grape dessert drink. As such it was not wine and therefore was not covered by the EU wine regulations so no offence was committed. He still has to pay the fine. (S Telegraph 5/10/97)
A German MEP is trying to use EU rules to force Coca-Cola to divulge its secret recipe. He says that an EU Directive on monitoring of foodstuffs allows unlimited inspection and examination of documentary material (D Mail 26/9/95).
German wine producers ignore EU regulations by labelling wines produced from hybrid vines as "quality" wines. (Hansard 27/1/00)
The finest British wine can only be classed as "table wine" because it is grown on hybrid vines. Hybrid vines are healthier and need far less fungicide. Because of EEC overproduction UK vineyards are to be prevented from producing more even though 99.7 per cent of wine is imported. We could increase production of so called "quality wines" but these can only be produced from vines that will not grow in our climate. (BBC R4 10/6/93) The Germans ignore this regulation and label as quality wines those produced with hybrid vines. (BBC Today Programme 7/2/00)
In order to reduce the wine lake it is proposed to limit the addition of sugar. Northern wines need added sugar to increase the alcohol content. No mention is made of the addition of acid to southern wines and it is these, usually of industrial quality, which make up the wine lake. (Monnow Wines 20/5/94).
The Control of Major Accidents Directive classifies whisky as a dangerous substance. It is possible to gain exemption from the regulations if each individual whisky warehouse makes a safety case costing £50,000. (D Telegraph 12/3/95)
EU Directive 75/106 rules that wine must be sold in 75 cl bottles and spirits must be sold in 70 cl bottles. Van der Hum is a spirit made in South Africa from tangerines, it is now banned from sale because it is supplied in 75 cl bottles (S Telegraph 8/1/95)
The European Commission gave the UK Government 40 days to repeal the regulation on Guest Beers in tied pubs. This arrangement has allowed 400 independent breweries to thrive. Abolition of the regulation would threaten the future of these traditional brewers. Producers, retailers and the Campaign for Real Ale have opposed the EU's interference. (FT 6/8/96) . Even continental brewers backed the UK rule, undermining the Commission’s stand (FT 12/10/96)