Winning EU hearts and minds: A minor skirmish

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Winning EU hearts and minds A minor skirmish
The Alcohol Policy Arena Positioning Science,
Knowledge and Policy in relation to the Alcohol
Industry, Dublin 15-16 May 2008

• Ann Hope
• School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity
  College
• annhope_at_eircom.net

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Key Players

• Commission
• EU alcohol strategy
• European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
• invited to give opinion
• Drinks Industry
• endorse strategy

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European Economic and Social Committee Who?

• A bridge between Europe and organised Civil
  Society (344 members with 6 sections)
• Section for Employment, social affairs and
  citizenship (SOC) prepare opinion
• Three groups represented in SOC
• Employers
• Unions
• Civic society groups

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EESC Process

• Study Group
• Rapporteur appointed Co-Rapporteur
• Rapporteur invited expert to draft opinion
• Study Group 2 meetings
• Section meeting (SOC)
• EESC Plenary
• Written amendments only at Section and Plenary

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EESC Draft opinion on EU Alcohol strategy

• Deficiencies
• Not comprehensive as called for in Council
  Conclusions
• No measurable targets (except road deaths)
• No mention that alcohol is drug, intoxicant,
  addictive
• Strategy has too much focus on education despite
  low rate of effectiveness
• EU internal rules causes problems for some
  countries, but no solutions proposed

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EESC Draft opinion on EU Alcohol strategy

• EESC recommends
• Ensure Community action complements MS policy
• Recognize moderate drinkers contribute to alcohol
  harm by drinking in harmful ways at times
• Children should have special safeguards legal
  protection
• Define child as u18 in line with UN convention
• Acknowledge WHO European Charter on Alcohol
• Include objective reduce exposure of children
  to alcohol advertising and promotions

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The skirmish begins

• Study Group meeting 1
• A false sense of calm
• Group want it stronger!
• Study group meeting 2
• The big guns are out
• European Spirits Organization (CEPS) with
  counter-opinion
• EESC Section meeting
• A few shots fired but failed to explode
• Plenary
• Full onslaught but maintained nerve

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Drinks Industry Arsenal

• Query the science
• Ignore the facts
• Distort the evidence
• Discredit individuals
• Maintain right to be at policy table
• Aim control alcohol policy direction for
  self-interest

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Lessons learned

• Spirits Organisation Key lobby group in EU
• Industry has used EU strategy to distort the
  science, gain legitimacy, pressurize MS for
  partnership in policy
• Civic society groups important (lead)
• Success was only possible with unions support

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So what?

• Process flawed
• EESC Opinion after the strategy
• Industry opinion before the strategy
• Commission Council - EU power houses
• Democracy at work ?