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Health

a. Nutritional labelling

The current provisions of the Food Information to Consumers Regulation (Regulation No. 1169/2011) exempt alcoholic beverages containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol from the mandatory labeling requirement to provide an ingredients list and a nutrition declaration.
Food operators can include such information on alcoholic beverages containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol on a voluntary basis. Despite the specific exemptions for alcoholic beverages incorporated in the FIC Regulation, the European Commission had the obligation to produce a report on whether alcoholic beverages should be covered in the future by the mandatory labeling requirement to provide the ingredients list and nutrition declaration. The report must also include reasons justifying possible exemptions.

On 13 March 2017, the Commission published the report and invited the industry to develop, within a year, “a self-regulatory proposal aiming to provide information on ingredients and nutrition of all alcoholic beverages”.

On 12 March 2018, the sectors have responsibly developed a meaningful and adapted voluntary solution to address consumer expectations about ingredients listing and nutritional information.

The sectors have worked constructively together to put forward a joint proposal to provide consumers with meaningful, clear and easy to understand information on these aspects. The sectors’ objective is to improve consumer knowledge about these products and to empower them to make informed decisions about the products that they choose to consume within a balanced lifestyle.

The key elements of the guiding principles drawn up by the European alcoholic beverages sectors are as follows:

The nutrition information and the list of ingredients will be provided in tailored and meaningful ways.

The nutrition information and the list of ingredients will be given to consumers off-label and/or on label. Information provided off-label will be easily accessible from the label itself.

Traditional and/or innovative tools will be used and comprehensive modern information systems may be developed.

Food business operators responsible for the food information will decide how to display the information.

Each sector has defined more precisely its specific commitment in an annex taking into account the EU legal framework that applies to the alcoholic beverages sector that it represents.

There will be a report on the implementation of both the general commitments and the sectors’ progress in the implementation of their individual commitments by March 2021.

The European Commission is currently assessing the industry proposal submitted the last march. The self-regulatory proposal consists of:

Joint self-regulatory proposal from the European alcoholic beverages sectors on the provision of nutrition and ingredients listing.

Detailed wine and aromatised wine products.

b. Wine in moderation Programme

The WiM Association is the international association, founded by wine sector associations and leading wine companies, that centrally coordinates the Wine in Moderation Programme and expands its reach and impact throughout the world.

The WIM programmes consist in providing a common approach to foster wine sector contribution in the fight against alcohol-related harm. To empower wine professionals and promote responsible business practices. To train professionals to improve knowledge and competences on wine, health and social aspects. To promote and implement self-regulation practices to ensure responsibility in the commercial communication of wine. To make available relevant and robust evidence-based scientific information, to secure credibility, enhance actions and facilitate dialogue on wine, health and social aspects.

CEVI joined Wine in Moderation as an observer member in 2015. The WIM programme is perfectly in line with independent winegrowers’ philosophy, which is to inform consumers about the dangers of alcohol abuse and to promote a moderate consumption of wine in line with a healthy lifestyle.

European Independent winegrowers use to sell their wines directly to the consumers. Joining the programme, it is an efficient way to provide winegrowers with arguments and recommendations to share with consumers.