G/TBT/N/LTU/35  
 
7 February 2019  
(19-0688) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member: LITHUANIA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilniaus str. 33, 
LT-01506 Vilnius, Lithuania, tel. +370 5 2661402, e -mail ministerija@sam.lt , 
http://sam.lrv.lt/   
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if dif ferent from above:   
EC TBT Enquiry Point: ec-tbt@cec.eu.int   
National TBT Enquiry Point: enquiry@lsd.lt  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Alcoholic 
beverages (ICS 67.160.10).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Draft Law on 
Alcohol Control of the Republic of Lithuania No. I -857 on Amendment of Article 18, 
No. XIIIP-1575(3) (1 page(s), in Lituanian)    
6. Description of content: It is prohibited to s ell in Republic of Lithuania:  
<...>  
(4) beer, fermented beverages, alcoholic beverages belonging to the group of alcoholic 
cocktails with a strength of more than 6% alcohol by volume, packed in containers of 
more than 0,2 liter capacity, except where such beverages are packed in glass, ceramic, 
wooden or metal containers;  
(5) beer, fermented beverages, alcoholic beverages belonging to the group of alcoholic 
cocktails with a strength of no more than 6% alcohol by volume, packed in containers of 
more than 1 l iter capacity, except where such beverages are packaged in glass, ceramic, 
wooden or metal containers;  
(6) alcoholic beverages with a strength of more than 22% alcohol by volume, packed in 
glass and other containers intended for direct consumption.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  
Aim of the regulation is:  
The aim  of this regulation is to reduce the availability of alcoholic beverages by purposeful 
restriction of sale of alcoholic beverages, which are m ainly intended for heavy alcohol 
drinkers/harmful alcohol users.  G/TBT/N/LTU/35  
 
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  The expected outcome  of this regulation is the disappearance of such alcoholic beverages 
which are popular among heavy alcohol drinkers/harmful alcohol users. (e.g. strong beer, 
wine in plast ic bottles, strong alcoholic beverages in so called "yoghurt style cup"/"one -
shot-glass" container), and in long term - expected decline in alcohol consumption among 
heavy alcohol drinkers/harmful alcohol users.  
According to the Alcohol Consumption Study [ 1] conducted by Vilnius University's Faculty 
of Economics, published in 2017, heavy alcohol drinkers often prefer cheap strong beer 
in plastic containers or cheap fortified fruit wine, which are particularly popular among 
heavy alcohol drinkers living in t he countryside  
The aim of the mentioned study was to quantify the Lithuanian alcohol consumption 
habits, identify the quantities of consumption, the portrait of alcohol consumers and 
specific challenges related to alcohol consumption. During the study in 2 016, 1113 
Lithuanian inhabitants in age of 15 -70 years old were interviewed in Lithuanian cities and 
countryside. 51 respondents belonging to the group of social risk families were 
additionally interviewed. In co -operation with the State Tax Inspectorate, a detailed 
analysis of the realization of alcoholic beverages in Lithuania was carried out as well, and 
the research was based on the results of the research of the shadow alcohol market in 
Lithuania.  
According to the survey, among persons who consumed alc ohol, 3.7% of consumers drink 
alcohol daily or almost daily, 10.5 percent - 2-4 times a week, 17.2 percent - once a 
week, 23 percent - 2-3 times a month, the rest - once a month and less often. According 
to the survey, 10 percent of alcohol users consumed about 37 percent of all alcohol 
consumed in the whole country  (what clearly shows the problematic part of population 
that should be targeted by alcohol control measures, along with other complex measures 
to reduce problematic alcohol consumption).  
Accordin g to the data of the State Tax Inspectorate, strong beer (over 6% strength) 
accounts for about 25% of beer sold in the country and about 19% of the total alcohol 
sold in the country. According to the publicly available data by the market research 
company N ielsen [2, 3], about half of drinking beer in rural areas is stronger than 6% 
alcohol by volume . Meanwhile, as it has been announced, the consumption of strong beer 
in rural areas is in fact not decreasing . The so called "yoghurt style cup"/"one -shot-glass" 
products are very cheap . Prices for both 0.1 liter plastic and glass containers vary from 
€1.35 to €1.50.  
Experts emphasize that action to reduce alcohol consumption in the Lithuania requires 
action, first and foremost to those who consume alcohol daily and get intoxicated with 
cheap strong beer in plastic bottles and fortified wine [2].  
On the contrary, the sale of such alcoholic beverages intended for harmful alcohol users 
and thus for particularly vulnerable persons is not ethical, logical (while the s tate has to 
allocate funds from the state and municipal budgets for the treatment of their dependence 
and the consequences of harmful consumption (violence, crime, etc.).), and the socially 
responsible business should support such a ban and no longer sell such alcoholic 
beverages which, in principle, are even more mutilate the vulnerable public groups and, 
as a result, generate significant socio -economic burden for the state.  
The regulation is also justified by the fact that Lithuania is facing especial cha llenge in 
high alcohol consumption  in comparing with countries in the World Health Organization 
(WHO/EURO), and also in the Baltic region. According to the WHO data, total alcohol 
consumption (liters, absolute alcohol, per person over 15 years of age) in L ithuania is 
among the highest in the WHO/EURO region (Lithuania ranks second place after 
Moldova): in Lithuania - 15 liters; the WHO/EURO average - 9.8 liters, in Latvia - 12.9, 
in Estonia - 11.6 [4]. According to the WHO [4], heavy episodic drinking in Li thuania is 
extremely high in comparing to the WHO/EURO region countries, and the prevalence of 
alcohol dependence in Lithuania is almost 1.5 times higher than the WHO/EURO region 
average . According to the European Commission and the OECD publication “State  of 
health in the EU. Lithuania. Country Health Profile 2017”[5]:“ „ Lithuania has the highest 
level of alcohol consumption in the EU (50% higher than the EU average) and more than 
one in three men report heavy alcohol consumption on a regular basis “ G/TBT/N/LTU/35  
 
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  It sho uld be noted that similar regulation in Latvia  on restriction of sale of alcoholic 
beverages depending on alcohol strength and container capacity, has been successfully 
notified to the European Commission [6] . 
In addition, the draft Law provides for a fair ly long transitional period (the draft Law is 
expected to enter into force on 1 July 2020) , which will enable the business to sell out 
the existing products and to adapt in time to the legal regulation that is particularly 
relevant for Lithuania in the con text of challenging alcohol consumption statistics and 
which together with other complex alcohol control and prevention measures would 
contribute to tackling of the country's especial sensitive public health problem.  
The proposed regulation neither impose significant restrictions on business or significantly 
impede the free movement of goods, since the market share of such goods is insignificant 
to business, but is a step towards development of a socially responsible business and is 
proportionate to its aim  of purposeful restriction of availability of alcoholic beverages, 
which are mainly intended for heavy alcohol drinkers/harmful alcohol users, and in long 
term - to reduction of alcohol consumption and protecting the health of the particularly 
vulnerable p art of society (heavy alcohol drinkers/harmful alcohol users).  
[1] http://lsveikata.lt/aktualijos/alkoholio -vartojimo -tyrimas -10-proc-gerianciuju -
isgeria -trecdali -salyje -suvartojamo -alkoholio -6483  
[2] https:// www.delfi.lt/sveikata/sveikatos -naujienos/ekspertu -isvada -alkoholio -
draudimai -turi-buti-nukreipti -visai-kita-kryptimi.d?id=74718166   
[3] https://www.delfi.lt/verslas/verslas/valstieciu -laukia -issukis -ar-isdris -imtis-aukso -
gyslos.d?id=74871646   
[4] https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665 /274603/9789241565639 -eng.pdf    
[5] http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/355987/Health -Profile -
Lithuania -Eng.pdf?ua=1   
[6] https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/society/big -plastic -beer-bottles -banned -from-
2020.a236084/   
8. Relevant documents:   
• Law on Alcohol Control of the Republic of Lithuania: https://www.e -
tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/TAR.9E5C5C16B6E6/rZQsifURuq  
9. Proposed date of adoption: Not specified  
Propos ed date of entry into force: 1 July 2020  
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
enquiry@lsd.lt  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/LTU/19_0708_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/LTU/19_0708_00_x.pdf