alcohol, health, EU Alcohol Strategy
EU Alcohol Strategy evidence heard in Brussels
7 November 2014
From 18-19 November 2014, the House of Lords Home Affairs, Health and Education Sub-Committee visited Brussels to hear evdience in relation to its current inquiry into the EU Alcohol Strategy.
Witnesses
The Sub-Committee met with key witnesses including:
Tuesday 18 November
- Eric Carlin, Director, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems
- Dr Lars Møller, Programme Manager, Alcohol & Illicit Drugs and Prison Health, WHO Regional Office
- Mariann Skar, Secretary General, Eurocare
- Paul Skehan, Director General, SPIRITSEurope
- Simon Spillan, Senior Advisor, Beer & Society and Communications, Brewers of Europe
Wednesday 19 November
- Dr Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, Director, Health Directorate, DG Research, European Commission
- Giovanni La Via MEP, Chair, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI)
- Glenis Willmott MEP, Member, ENVI
Topics of discussion
- Should there be a new EU Alcohol Strategy?
- What were the key achievements of the EU Alcohol Strategy 2006-2012?
- What has been your experience of cooperation between the alcohol industry and the public health sector in the EU Alcohol and Health Forum (EAHF)?
- What role should the European Parliament play in the formulation of the next Strategy?
- Outside the EAHF what action is the alcohol industry taking at a European level to reduce alcohol-related harm?
- Was the previous EU Alcohol Strategy based on sound scientific evidence?
- What is your opinion of EU-funded research on alcohol-related harm?
- What is your opinion of the effectiveness of pricing policies such as minimum unit pricing and bans on the below-cost sale of alcohol?
- What would be the added value of a new EU strategy, as opposed to the WHO European action plan 2012-2020?
- Do you see any differences in drinking patterns between northern, southern and eastern European countries?
- Are indicators a reliable tool to monitor the success of a new EU strategy?