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Dominican Republic calls for WTO review of Ireland´s alcohol warning labels
By Guzmán Ariza, Attorneys at Law
Dominican Republic calls for WTO review of Ireland's alcohol warning labels
At meetings of the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) on 19 to 23 June, WTO members discussed regulatory cooperation on cybersecurity and on intangible digital products. They also aired a total of 68 trade concerns, 11 of which were raised for the first time, regarding digital issues, public health concerns and product standards, among other topics.
Ireland's proposed public health measure requiring alcoholic beverage labels to carry various health warning messages was discussed at length. The concern was raised by the Dominican Republic, Mexico, the United States and others.
While supportive of Ireland's goal of communicating health risks related to alcohol, these members voiced concerns about potential trade restrictions. They also emphasized the additional costs and complexities introduced by country-specific labels and questioned the accuracy of the proposed warning messages, suggesting they lacked objective scientific backing.
Other members underlined the importance of harmonised regulation between the EU Single Market and those of its members states. The European Union explained that the measure was designed to provide consumers with straightforward information on the risks associated with alcohol. It added that the measure is also designed to minimize impact on cross-border trade, allowing necessary label information to be added via stickers after export, and before the product's sale within Ireland. The existence of a three-year transition period to allow businesses to adapt to the new requirements was also underlined. Additionally, the EU is working on a new EU-wide food regulation, including alcohol labelling, but it is currently in the early stages.
Other concerns addressed packaging requirements for agricultural products and tax stamps on alcoholic and tobacco products. Standards introduced for footwear and textiles for consumer protection were also raised. Other concerns dealt with battery waste management and energy conservation.
Guzmán Ariza, Attorneys at Law
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