NL’s Take on Minimum Alcohol Pricing

EU members have already shared their views on the Scottish government’s plan to cut alcohol prices. Elliot Clowes/Wikimedia Commons Scotland has set up a legislation to allow alcohol products to be sold at a price lower than the minimum price. According to them, it is a crucial part of an extensive plan which involves over forty measures to deal with the harmful effects of alcohol. They believed such move is necessary to protect the lives and health of the people. The Netherlands does not view the principle of free movement of goods as an obstruction to the steps Scotland is trying to make. But Dutch officials think the case-law of the European Court of Justice on this issue should also be given importance. The Netherlands is requesting an assurance that the proposed measures will not cause subjective bias or masked forms of trade limits. The Netherlands also asks the UK to make certain that the legislation proposed by Scotland must not infringe on the European acquis communautaire. Source: BBC News