(Refiles, fixing to World Trade Organization in 4th paragraph)
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".
The minister of agriculture, food sovereignty and forestries,
Francesco Lollobrigida, said the EU's decision to allow the
Irish labels was "extremely serious".
He said "we believe that behind this choice, one 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".
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