Agriculture and Food Soverignty
Minister Francesco Lollobrigida on Friday condemned what he
called "lies" in planned Irish health warnings on wine, beer and
spirits bottles.
Italy has said it will appeal to the European Commission against
the introduction of the labels, which warn that alcohol harms
the liver and is linked to cancer, and ask the EC to put the
case to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The cigarette-like warnings were tacitly given the go-ahead
after the EC failed to block them.
"Lies seriously damage your health," said Lollobrigida,
grand-nephew of screen diva Gina Lollobrigida, at a Brescia
forum against 'frankenfood'.
"We will support in every way not only actions of defence
against the aggression of bogus labels, but we will also make
all promotional actions to explain at all levels what are the
benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, in its complexity, and our
nation's products," he said.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Thursday Ireland's plan to
introduce health warnings on wine, beer and spirits like those
on cigarettes was "absurd", echoing protests from Italian wine
producers.
"Ireland's decision to introduce a (health warning) label on all
alcoholic beverages, including Italian wine, is absurd," the
minister tweeted.
Tajani said the decision had been taken against the opposition
of the European Parliament and stressed "this choice ignores the
difference between moderate consumption and abuse of alcohol."
He said he would ask the European Commission to intervene by
complaining to the World Trade Organization.
The European Union's decision not to oppose Ireland's plan to
bring in health warnings like those on cigarette packets for
wines, beers and spirits has stirred widespread anger in Italy.
Dublin is free to bring in the warnings about health risks risks
linked to liver disease and cancer after it informed the
European Commission of its plans in June 2022 and the EU
executive did not raise objections in the ensuing six-month
moratorium period even though Italy, France, Spain and six other
EU member States were against.
Italian wine producers fear the move will set a precedent that
other countries may follow and affect exports.
Italian farmers' association Coldiretti called it a "direct
attack on Italy, the main producer and exporter (of wine) with
over 14 billion euros in (annual) revenue, with over half coming
from abroad".
Lamberto Frescobaldi, the president of the Italian Wines Union
(UIV), said the EU's "consent by silence" to Ireland's alcoholic
drinks labels gave the green light to a "dangerous" move by a
member State.
Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry Undersecretary Luigi
D'Eramo expressed dismay too.
"You don't protect public health by criminalizing individual
products," D'Eramo said in a statement on Thursday.
"Wine is history, culture, an expression of our territories to
us and it is part of the Mediterranean diet.
"It is about quality and responsible consumption. "(The health
warning plan) is a dangerous precedent that, if followed by
other countries, risks damaging a leading sector of our
food-agriculture system.
"Wine and beer cannot be compared to spirits and smoking".
Lollobrigida said the EU's decision to allow the Irish labels
was "extremely serious".
He said "we believe that behind this choice, once more, they are
aiming not to protect health but to condition the markets, and
that the push in this direction comes from nations which do not
produce wine and where highly alcoholic spirits are abused. They
want to equate wine with spirits but wine when used in
moderation is a healthy foodstuff".
Veneto Governor Luca Zaia, whose region is a big wine producer,
said the "absurd" decision risks causing billions of euros of
damage to the sector.
"It's a hypothesis I don't even want to consider," he said.
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