Precautionary Labelling Of Alcohol: A Matter To Be Assessed

The recent Irish legislation on precautionary warnings in alcohol labeling has sparked numerous controversies regarding the risk that excessive demonisation of alcohol consumption might destroy the market for products that have contributed for millennia to the construction of the cultural, social, and economic identity of European peoples. The article draws on recent scientific data, which has highlighted the difficulty (if not the impossibility) of identifying a ‘safe level of consumption’ to assess whether regulatory initiatives such as the one described can be legitimate in light of the complex division of competencies between Member States and the European Union in the field of food labeling, presentation, and advertising, as well as which principles should guide the precautionary actions of national legislators aiming to protect their citizens' health from the risk of alcohol. The article concludes with some de iure condendo reflections on the future possibilities of avoiding the legal, commercial, and cultural conflicts that this regulatory fragmentation could cause, urging the resumption of a European-level dialogue that collapsed in 2021 when the European Parliament failed to reach a majority on a specific regulatory proposal advanced by the EU Commission.