Proposal for a Council Recommendation - "Drinking of alcohol by children and adolescents"
Date: 2000-11-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: alcoholism, child, disease prevention, public health, young person

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 27.11.2000
COM(2000) 736 final

Proposal for a

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION

“DRINKING OF ALCOHOL BY CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS”

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1.

THE INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

The consumption of alcoholic drinks is a common, though by no means universal
part of adult life in European society. It is during adolescence that people tend to
begin drinking and to become active participants in the drinking culture of their own
group and society. Beginning to drink is thus for most people a recognised part of the
transition to adulthood, and to a considerable extent adolescent drinking behaviour
reflects the attitudes and practices of the wider, adult society.

For these reasons the problems due to the inappropriate consumption of alcohol by
young people cannot be dealt with completely separately from those in society as a
whole. However, drinking by young people does have special characteristics and
there are good reasons for specific measures to address the problems associated with
it.

To describe drinking habits there are various terminologies, such as misuse, abuse, or
alcohol related harm, which are used in and by the Member States, as well as by
those involved with alcohol consumption. However their interpretation differs as
does a common understanding of these expressions. For this reason the Commission
has chosen to use terminology in this Council Recommendation that is descriptive in
nature without in any way prejudicing the continued use of the various terminologies.

2.

THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM

One feature of young people’s drinking is that, generally, they are simply more
vulnerable than adults to the adverse effects of alcohol. Studies of alcohol and
mortality in teenagers and young adults show that mortality rises in line with
consumption, with no evidence of any supposed 'protective effect’1. Health benefits
in relation to coronary heart disease, due to regular, light consumption of alcohol,
preferably in the context of a healthy diet, are restricted to the middle aged and
elderly. On the other hand, it is known that alcohol is one of the most important
health determinants in the EU2.

Young people do not always have sufficient experience, or guidance, to enable them
risks such as the risks associated with the
to accurately evaluate potential
inappropriate consumption of alcohol. Thus, for example, young people are more
prone to alcohol related accidents than their elders.

Both regular heavy consumption and binge drinking adversely affect physical and
mental health. Using alcohol as a drug for its psychoactive properties to cope with
adverse situations can impair psychological and emotional development
in
adolescents.

1

2

: Alcohol and Mortality Among Young Men : Longitudinal Study of Swedish

Adreasson et al
Conscripts. British Medical Journal 296, 1021-1025. 1988
Determinants of the burden of disease in the European Union, National Institute of Public Health,
Sweden; 1997

2

In the long term the effect of alcohol on a person’s health may be determined by their
consumption pattern, that is to say, the drinking behaviour they acquired during their
youth. There is evidence that young people who begin regular drinking at an early
age are substantially more likely to develop alcohol dependence later in life than
those who begin drinking at a later age3. It is therefore important to help young
people to acquire behaviour that will minimise the harm associated with the
consumption of alcoholic beverages.

In the short term the drinking of alcohol by young people is associated with the risk
of a wide range of social, rather than medical, problems. The association between
alcohol and anti-social behaviour, such as violence, is particularly strong among
young people. The psychological associations between alcohol and risk can increase
childrens’ vulnerability, especially in boys, to marketing techniques linking alcohol
products with dangerous activities or which appear to issue a challenge. Moreover,
binge drinking has been linked with unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted
diseases, crime and road traffic accidents.

The public health problem of the significant death toll and serious injuries in road
traffic accidents involving drivers who are impaired because of alcohol consumption
has been extensively researched and documented. Furthermore, the Commission
considers that the problem of inappropriate drinking and driving is one of the six key
priorities for action to reduce the annual death toll of about 45,000 on EU roads4.
Consequently, the Commission is bringing forward a recommendation concerning
maximum legal BAC limits to underpin an increased effort to reduce inappropriate
drinking and driving5.

Young drivers and motorcycle riders (some riders are as young as 14 in some
Member States) are an important part of this problem. The recommendation
addresses this issue by proposing relatively lower BAC limits of 0.2 mg/ml for
inexperienced, mostly young, car drivers and also for riders of two wheeled
motorised vehicles.

High novelty seeking and low harm avoidance are features of personality predictive
of early onset alcohol abuse6. It is therefore important to seek to balance the natural
desire of young people to try out new things with a proper understanding of the
associated risks.

3.

THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM

There is evidence from several Member States that levels of alcohol consumption by
young people and related harm are already high, and in some States it is clear that the
problems are growing. An important aspect here is the reported growth in ‘Nordic
drinking patterns among young people in the wine producing countries, particularly

3

4

5

6

Age at Onset of Alcohol Use and its Association with Alcohol Abuse and Dependence. NIAAA. USA.
1997
“Priorities in EU road safety: Progress Report and Ranking of Actions”, COM(2000)125.
Proposal for a recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the maximum
permitted Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) for drivers of motorised vehicle COM(2000) xxx.
C.R. Cloninger et al : Childhood Personality Predicts Alcohol Abuse in Young Adults. Alcoholism,
Clinical & Experimental Research. 1998; 12-4: p.494-505

3

truancy,

in France and Spain. In France, for example,
there is a growing problem of
drunkenness in teenagers and young adults which is associated with fights and
theft and the use of illegal drugs7. A report for the French
violence,
Secretary of State of Health discusses these issues and how the problem of drinking
by adolescents and young adults is becoming extremely grave8. The EU report on the
state of young people’s health states that, although young Europeans have their first
taste of alcohol around much the same age as in the past, i.e. in their early teens,
regular drinking begins at a younger age than it used to. As far as the prevention of
alcohol-related harm among children and adolescents is concerned, it should be
noted that the application of current national legislations on access to alcohol for
young teenagers would be a major step forward.

In most Member States, boys continue to drink significantly more frequently and
heavily than girls. However, increases in consumption and earlier age of onset of
drinking are affecting girls as well as boys, and the gender gap has narrowed in many
Member States. It should be underlined in this context that, generally, females - girls
and women - are more vulnerable than males to alcohol, experiencing more problems
over a shorter timespan from the same quantities.

Unfortunately the available scientific information as to the causes, the nature and the
scale of the problems is limited. In spite of the fairly large number of studies
conducted in many countries it is rather difficult to get a comprehensive picture. The
main reason for this is that the studies are made on different age groups with
different questionnaires and at different times, i.e. too many factors influence the
result and make comparisons difficult. The following findings, although not
comprehensive, give some idea of the scale of the problem:

• A recent survey of 15 - 16 year olds which included some EU Member States
found the highest frequencies of binge drinking in Ireland, the UK and Denmark.
The UK, Denmark, Finland, France and Sweden report the highest proportions of
boys and girls who have been drunk at or younger than the age of 139.

• According to the WHO HBSC 1997/1998 survey, 15-year-old boys exceed girls in
weekly beer drinking in all the countries covered; the high absolute rates of
regular beer consumption among 15-year-old boys in Wales (50%), Denmark
(43%), Greece (42%) and England (40%) are of particular concern. At age 15, the
only countries where girls report a higher consumption of both spirits and wine
than boys are Scotland, England and Wales10.

• A comparison between the 1993/1994 and 1997/1998 WHO HBSC surveys
shows, that the percentage of 15-year-old boys and girls who had been drunk two
times or more in their life-time has risen in almost all countries covered. In
1997/1998, more than half of 15-year-old boys and girls reported having been
drunk two times or more in Denmark, Finland, England, Scotland and Wales,

7

8

9

10

M. Choquet & S. Ledoux in M. Plant (Ed) : Alcohol-Related Problems in High Risk Groups. Euro
Reports and Studies 109. WHO Geneva 1989
Rapport du Professeur Bernard Roques au Secrétaire d’Etat à la Santé. Problèmes posés par la
dangerosité des drogues. Mai 1998.
Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among Students in 26 European Countries. The 1995 ESPAD Report. The
Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs. 1997.
Health Behaviours in School – Aged Children (HBSC), a WHO Cross – National Study, 1997/98

4

whereas the corresponding percentages were below 30% for boys and girls in
France and Greece. The clear geographical pattern, with students from South
European countries reporting low levels of drunkenness in sharp contrast
to
certain Northern European countries, persists in 15-year-olds reporting having
been drunk 10 times or more.

• The recent Health Behaviour in School Children survey in Ireland confirmed
earlier research findings, which reported that a greater proportion of young people
are starting to experiment with alcohol at an earlier age and for some young
people, getting drunk is part of the drink culture. The survey reported that up to
one-fifth of boys in the 15-17 age group had been drunk 10 or more times.

• A study carried out in Germany investigating the alcohol consumption of young
people aged 14-24 states that alcohol abuse was reported by about 10% of
respondents and alcohol dependence by just over 6%. Men were more likely to
report an alcohol disorder than women, prevalence also increased in the older age
cohorts. However, even among 14- to 17-year-olds a substantial proportion of
respondents report high and regular consumption rates, the occurrence of abuse
and dependence criteria and even a full dependence syndrome11.

• In 1998, 21% of children aged 11-15 in England said that they had had an
alcoholic drink during the previous seven days, a statistically significant decrease
compared with 1996, when 27% had done so. The decrease was significant for
both boys and girls, but somewhat more marked among girls. Far from falling in
1998, the average amount drunk in the previous week by those who did drink
increased again, from about 8.5 units in 1996 to almost 10 units, confirming a
trend observed since 1990. Thus, although the proportion drinking in the previous
week had fallen in 1998 compared with 1996, those who did drink, drank more12.

• In Spain, one out of five adolescents had been drunk during the month prior to a
survey carried out in 1996 on the school population in the 14-18 age group. Two
out of three students had drunk alcohol during the month prior to the survey (two
out of five students aged 14, and four out of five students aged 18)13.

Because of the lack of comprehensive information, further research is necessary to
properly identify all the different aspects of problems in order to target specific and
appropriate measures to deal with them as well as to allow some measurement of the
effect of those measures, both in any one Member State and in the EU as a whole.

Particular attention should, in this respect, be paid to the reasons for alcohol abuse,
the drinking patterns, the type of beverages consumed, as well as to behaviour in
relation to different types of drinks.

It has to be stressed that the results of two ongoing projects, the second European
School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD), covering 7 Member

11

12

13

Patterns of use and their relationship to DSM-IV Abuse and Dependence of Alcohol among adolescents
and young adults, A. Holly and H.-V. Wittchen, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munic, 1998
E. Goddard et al: Smoking, drinking and drug use among young teenagers in 1998, Volume 1, England.
Office for National Statistics. 1999.
Plan Nacional Sobre Drogas (1998) “Encuesta sobre Drogas en la poblacion escolar”. Ministerio del
Interior, Madrid (Survey on Drugs in the School Population)

5

States and of the European Comparative Alcohol Studies (ECAS)14, covering all
Member States except Luxembourg, will be helpful in this respect.

4.

THE PROPOSED APPROACH

It is clear that parental example and family relationships are among the first and
strongest influences on children’s behaviour. Another feature is that, even though
parental influence remains strong during childhood, adolescents’ drinking habits
often differ from their parents’ both qualitatively and quantitatively, as parental
influence is supplanted by that of the peer group, which, in turn, may be heavily
influenced by an increasingly international and commercialised youth culture.

It
is for these reasons that one focus of the measures proposed is education,
information and health promotion. Targeted health promotion and health education
interventions should use a multisectoral approach and focus on the development of
personal and social skills, which empower and enable young individuals to make
healthy and responsible choices. These measures should be addressed to young
people directly and indirectly by providing information and assistance to parents, to
schools and youth clubs, to communities and other authorities, to employers, to the
media, to the health care professionals and to others who might play a role in guiding
young people in the transition to adulthood. The key role and responsibility of
parents should be emphasized in this respect.

It should, however, be remembered that education and public information measures
are, on their own, unlikely to have a major and sustainable impact. They may need be
complemented by other measures, i.e. political interventions focussing on improved
skills for decision making and stronger support for public policy.

These proposals are also addressed via the Member States to the producers and
retailers of alcoholic beverages. The producers and retailers should be encouraged to
play their role in providing information and creating awareness, and in carrying out
educational measures for servers and other sales staff. Market
supply and
commercial communications are important factors with the potential to influence
consumption behaviours, not only of adults but also of young people. The producers
of the different types of alcoholic beverages have therefore a duty to ensure that in
their commercial activities they demonstrate responsibility and do not encourage
irresponsible or harmful consumption.

This issue, which constitutes the second focus of the measures proposed, came to the
fore with the sudden appearance on the market of ‘alcopops’ and ‘designer drinks’ in
a number of Member States. As a result widespread public, media and political
concern was expressed at the possibility of these alcoholic drinks being marketed to
appeal especially to children, still too young to have acquired the taste for alcohol.

For instance, a written declaration on Alcopops and Designer Drinks was issued and
signed by more than 200 Members of the European Parliament, urging the

14

A comparative analysis of alcohol policy and its effects in the EU-States (ECAS I), and A comparative
analysis of alcohol consumption and its public health effects in the EU-States (ECAS II), National
Institute of Public Health, Sweden

6

Community institutions to take greater cognisance of the need for appropriate health
promotion policies for children and young people.

The alcoholic drinks industry and/or the advertising business have,
in several
Member States of the European Union, responded to that concern by launching, or
strengthening existing self-regulation structures (codes of practice, codes of
conduct), which include complaint procedures. Within these approaches,
the
protection and education of young people is an area of particular concern.

However, a preoccupation with ‘alcopops’ should not act as a diversion from the
fundamental issue. In the UK, for example, even at the height of the alcopops boom,
the most widely consumed alcoholic drinks by teenagers remained lager and cider15.
In a large survey looking at alcohol consumption among teenagers every two years
since 1988 the authors concluded that, in 1996, a year or so after alcopops were
introduced into the market, in England they were the second most popular drink
(after beer, lager or cider) among this age group, but that two years later they had
fallen well behind spirits and wine, and that they were probably mainly an additional
drink option for children who would have been drinking anyway. The authors
observed that also the data for Scotland showed a fall in the relative popularity of
alcopops and reflect the speed with which fashions for drinking can change among
this age group16.

A Dutch study of September 1998 found, for example, that amongst youngsters
under age 16, 13 per cent consumed alcopops ; 11 per cent of these alcopops drinkers
consumed on each occasion three glasses or more. The data indicate, however, that
consumption of beer was even more popular amongst this age group : 57 per cent of
all youngsters consumed beer ; 40 per cent of these beer drinkers consumed on each
occasion three glasses or more17.

The probability that sales of alcopops have now stabilised or declined over much of
Europe should not therefore be taken as an indication that there is no longer a
problem. Products such as ‘designer drinks’ or ‘alcopops’ may continue to be an
issue in that the producers face a continuing need to keep coming up with new
versions of drinks to appeal to each new generation.

Self-regulation of advertising for alcoholic beverages has the support of the parties
directly involved: producers, advertisers, advertising agencies and the media which
carry advertising. Moreover, in some Member States, Governments are supporting
and closely following up such developments within the framework of their national
regulations. It is therefore necessary to take into consideration the activities already
underway in the Member States. In implementing the Commission's proposal, the
results of a study on the impact of television advertising and teleshopping on minors,
which was launched in January 2000, following a commitment given by the
Commission,
in the context of the revision of the Television without frontiers
Directive, should also be considered.

15

16

17

Young people and alcohol – a survey of attitudes and behaviour towards new types of alcoholic drinks
in England. Health Education Authority. December 1996.
Goddard. Young teenagers and alcohol series for England and Scotland – 1996 and 1998. ONS.
October 1997 and October 1999.
Hielkema, R., Ordelman, W.: Licht-alcoholhoudende dranken. Amsterdam, Trendbox, 1998

7

Most Member States appear to be taking a range of actions in regard to drinking by
in association with the World Health
children and adolescents,
Organisation. The WHO Alcohol Charter, endorsed by all Member States of the
Union, includes the ethical principle that all children and adolescents have the right
to grow up in an environment protected from the negative consequences of alcohol
consumption and, to the extent possible, from the promotion of alcoholic beverages.

sometimes

Germany is an example of a Member State which is attempting to implement this
principle. In 1997 the Lander adopted an action plan which includes the commitment
to the improvement in the protection of children and young people from the negative
consequences of alcohol use.

In addition there are a wide range of other social and environmental factors which
influence young people’s behaviour and which may encourage or prevent
delinquency. Factors as diverse as the level of youth unemployment and the
provision, or lack of recreational facilities are also relevant and the measures
proposed have to be considered and evaluated in this overall context.

5.

WHY A COMMUNITY DIMENSION?

The objective of the Council Resolution on alcohol abuse, adopted in 1986, is to
decrease alcohol related problems in the Member States through a joint initiative
which takes into account the economic factor and public health concerns. Thus the
resolution invites the Commission to take measures bearing in mind the interests
involved in the production, distribution and promotion of alcohol beverages, and
public health interests, to conduct a balanced policy to this end and to submit
appropriate proposals to the Council.

Article 152 of the Treaty provides for Community competence in this field in so far
as the Community contributes to it by encouraging co-operation between Member
States and, if necessary, by lending support to their action. Also, in accordance with
Article 5 of the Treaty, efforts to achieve the objective of a contribution by the
Community towards ensuring a high level of health protection have to be undertaken
in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.

One of the explicit objectives of the Community action programme on health
promotion, information, education and training within the framework for action in
the field of public health (1996-2000) is the promotion of examination, assessment
and exchange of experience and support for actions concerning measures to prevent
alcohol abuse and the health and social consequences thereof.

The Commission proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision adopting
a Programme of Community action in the field of public health (2001-2006) stresses
the need to tackle health determinants through health promotion and disease
prevention measures. It also includes a number of specific measures to give effect to
the requirement of the Treaty, that a high level of human health protection has to be
ensured in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and
activities. Alcohol being one of the most important risk factors for human health, it
will remain an issue of utmost importance, not only for the Member States, but also
at the European Union level.

8

Community action is called for because of the increasingly international character of
youth culture, and the decreasing significance of national borders with regard to the
transmission of this culture and products associated with it. This consideration
justifies Community attention to health promotion and educational measures as well
as to issues such as product labelling and advertising, while taking into account the
principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.

With regard to advertising of alcohol,
it has to be stressed that within the
Commission there are currently no plans for a ban. However, there is a need for the
Community to consider commercial communications, both within the overall context
of health promotion and education, and with a view to ensure that the self-regulatory
advertising codes in the Member States are themselves compatible with the
principles of the EC Treaty, and notably of Article 49 on the free movement of
services.

In this context attention has to be drawn to the Council Directive concerning
television broadcasting activities in the Member States (Television without frontiers
Directive) which sets a range of clear criteria on television advertising of alcoholic
beverages, with a specific reference to young people.

There is also a clear need for Community action to improve data collection on a
consistent basis, and to facilitate the exchange of information regarding best
practices in health education and other preventative strategies. In this respect,
to be
cultural and national diversity precludes the creation of a rigid blueprint
imposed across the Union. However, a general framework which recognises cultural
diversity can be developed which will facilitate action to tackle a problem which
Member States recognise to be a serious cause for concern.

The scale of the social and health problem due to excessive consumption of alcohol
calls for the mobilisation of all efforts to reduce it. This is a clear conclusion which
can be drawn from the large imput received from the various interested parties in the
course of drafting this proposal. All Member States pursue measures in the field, but
the approaches and strategies differ substantially. There are clearly lessons to be
learned from these differences. The Community is in a good position to promote a
coherent overall strategy to combat alcohol related harm.

As has been mentioned earlier, it should be recognised that responsible sectors of
industry are already active in fostering responsible behaviour. A crucial aspect for
implementation of the proposed measures, aiming at preventing
the successful
alcohol-related harm among children and adolescents, is in fact the cooperation of all
interested parties. Continuous consultation of the stakeholders and an open dialogue
will contribute to achieve the goals set in the recommendations.

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Proposal for a

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION

“DRINKING OF ALCOHOL BY CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS”

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article
152, paragraph 4,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission18

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

In accordance with point (p) of Article 3 of the Treaty, the activities of the Community
shall include a contribution to the attainment of a high level of health protection;

Health education and information are expressly mentioned in Article 152 of the
Treaty, and constitute a priority for Community action in public health;

In the Communication from the Commission on the Health strategy of the European
Community and the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and the
Council adopting a programme for action in the field of public health (2001-2006)
alcohol is one of the areas mentioned in which particular measures and actions could
be undertaken19.

In the Communication from the Commission “Priorities in EU road safety”
(COM(2000)125) drinking and driving is identified as one of the top priorities where
concerted action could reduce the significant death toll on EU roads. The
Commission’s recommendation concerning maximum permitted blood alcohol content
for drivers of motorised vehicles (COM(2000) xxx) specifically identifies the problem
of young drivers and riders and proposes a limit of 0.2mg/ml for inexperienced drivers
and also riders of two wheeled motor vehicles.

One of the objectives of the Programme of Community Action on health promotion,
information, education and training (European Parliament and Council Decision No
645/96/EC)20 is the promotion of examination, assessment and exchange of experience
and support for actions concerning measures to prevent alcohol abuse and the health
and social consequences thereof; this Programme thus offers a basis for the follow-up
and monitoring of the proposed measures;

18

19

20

OJ C […],[…], p […]
COM(2000) 285 Final
OJ L 95, 16.04.1996, p.1.

10

(6) Within the programme of Community action on health monitoring (European
Parliament and Council Decision N° 1400/97/EC)21 one of the areas in which health
indicators may be established is alcohol consumption; this may be particularly helpful
to support the implementation of the proposed measures;

(7)

(8)

(9)

Under
the programme of Community action on injury prevention (European
Parliament and Council Decision N° 372/99/EC)22 injury associated with alcohol
abuse will be part of the actions undertaken, which could be useful to support the
collection of data needed for the implementation of the proposed measures;

The resolution on alcohol abuse, adopted by the Council and the representatives of the
Governments of the Member States, meeting with the Council, on 29 May 198623,
states that the increase in alcohol abuse is causing serious concern for public health
and social welfare, that the production, sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages is
an important factor in the economy of most Member States, that, at European level, a
joint initiative is advisable in the field of prevention of alcohol abuse, and that the
Commission in weighing carefully the interests involved, shall conduct a balanced
policy to this end, and, where necessary, submit proposals to the Council;

For the purposes of the recommended measures, it is important to note that the
amended proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council
amending Directive 79/112/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member
States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs24 states that,
in order to contribute to the achievement of a high level of health and to the protection
of the health of consumers, it shall be ensured that consumers are appropriately
informed about foodstuffs, and especially alcoholic beverages, inter alia through the
listing of the ingredients on labels, that the need for this is all the more urgent since
more and more alcoholic beverages whose composition and presentation are obviously
geared to sales to young people have come onto the market in recent years, and that
common legislation on the labelling of alcoholic beverages is essential for the
expansion and preservation of the internal market in these products;

(10) According to Article 15 of Council Directive 89/552/EEC on the co-ordination of
certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member
States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities, as amended by
Council Directive 97/36/EC25, television advertising for alcoholic beverages shall
comply with a set of criteria, with a specific reference to the protection of minors;

(11)

In implementing the recommended measures, it must be kept in mind that restrictions
to cross-border commercial communication services must be compatible with Article
49 of the Treaty and must therefore be proportional to the general interest objectives
they pursue such as the protection of public health and consumers;

(12)

It has to be noted that any decision to remove offending products emanating from
another Member State is subject to Decision 3052/95/EC26 establishing a procedure

21

22

23

24

25

26

OJ L 193, 22.07.1997, p.1
OJ L 46, 20.02.1999, p.1
OJ C 184, 23.07.1986, p.3
OJ L 47, 19.02.2000, p.34
OJ L 202, 30.07.1997, p.60
OJ L 321, 30.12.1995, p.1

11

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

for the exchange of information on national measures derogating from the principle of
the free movement of goods within the Community. It must be notified and its
proportionality justified to the Commission as required by that Decision.

Self-regulation of advertising for alcoholic beverages, which has the support of the
relevant interested parties, such as producers, advertisers and media and which is
already working in a number of Member States, often in close cooperation with the
governments, can play in important role with regard to the protection of children and
adolescents from alcohol related-harm.

There is statistical evidence in some Member States of changes in the drinking
patterns amongst adolescents which are of particular concern, namely: An increase in
binge drinking and heavy drinking among minors, a trend towards significant,
unsupervised consumption of alcohol outside the family environment, at an earlier
stage, and an increasing consumption by young girls in some Member States. The
available information needs, however, to be further developed.

There is a clear need for the Community to improve data collection in a consistent
way, aiming at a better scientific information basis as to the causes, the nature and the
scale of the problems, caused by the drinking of alcohol by children and adolescents.

In accordance with Article 5 of the Treaty, efforts to achieve the objective of a
contribution by the Community towards ensuring a high level of health protection
must be undertaken in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, and in accordance
with the principle that Community action shall not go beyond what is necessary to
achieve the objectives of the Treaty. The recommended measures therefore must, in
accordance with the principle of subsidiarity,
take account of past and current
measures implemented in the Member States and must be compatible with the Treaty,
in particular articles 28-30 and 49, and proportionate to their public health objective;

(17) A continuous assessment of the measures undertaken should be carried out, with
particular regard to their effectiveness and the achievements at both national and
Community level;

HEREBY RECOMMENDS:

In formulating strategies and taking actions, appropriate to the circumstances of individual
Member States, to address the problems due to the inappropriate consumption of alcohol by
children and adolescents, Member States should :

- HEALTH PROMOTION, EDUCATION AND INFORMATION -

(1)

(2)

Strengthen efforts to develop and implement appropriate comprehensive health
promotion policies targeted at children, adolescents, their parents, teachers and carers,
at local, national and European level, with a particular emphasis on settings, such as
youth organisations, sporting organisations and schools;

Strengthen and support efforts to develop and implement health promotion
programmes in schools, to appropriately include the alcohol issue, taking into account
existing experiences, for instance the concept of the health-promoting school, as well
as cultural diversity within the European Community;

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(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

Support measures to raise awareness of the effects of alcohol drinking, in particular on
children and adolescents, and of the consequences for the individual and the society;

Encourage and provide resources for evaluations of the most effective methods of
health promotion and education in relation to alcohol;

Encourage youth organisations, sports organisations and other local community
initiatives to include and integrate health education in relation to alcohol within their
programmes of activity ; specific actions (in especially in the field of information),
initiated and implemented by young people for young people, should be regarded as
particularly appropriate in this context;

Encourage the producers of alcoholic beverages in their efforts to develop specific
training for servers and sales persons with regard to the protection of children and
adolescents;

Encourage the production of advisory materials for parents to help them discuss
alcohol issues with their children, and promote their dissemination via local networks
such as schools, health care services, libraries, community centres as well as via the
Internet;

Further develop specific initiatives addressed to the young people on the dangers of
drink-driving, with a specific reference to settings such as discotheques ;

Take strict enforcement action as a matter of priority against the illegal sale of alcohol
to underage consumers, and where appropriate, support the development and active
promotion of an official proof of age card to support such action;

Foster a multi-centre approach, to educating young people about the use and abuse of
alcohol, in order to help prevent its abuse, including, where appropriate, the education,
health and youth services, law enforcement agencies and the media ;

Produce, disseminate and use evidence-based information on the factors which
motivate children to start drinking at worrying levels ;

Support
interventions concerning young people being alcohol dependent ;

the development of specific approaches on early detection and brief

- CODES OF CONDUCT -

Strengthen the enforcement of regulatory control with regard to the promotion,
marketing and retailing of alcoholic beverages, and call upon the producers and
retailers to enforce self-regulatory control in these areas;

Seek the agreement of manufacturers and retailers to apply the same high level of
to promotion, marketing and
responsibility and the same standards, with respect
retailing, in all Member States;

(15)

Establish, in co-operation with the producers and the retailers of alcoholic beverages,
effective mechanisms to

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(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

Ensure that the manufacturers do not target alcoholic products at children and
adolescents;

Ensure that alcoholic beverages are not designed or promoted to appeal
particularly to children or adolescents, and covering inter alia the following
elements :

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

the use of characters, motifs, colours and styles associated with youth
culture,

featuring children, adolescents, or models looking like very young
people, in promotion campaigns,

allusions to drug culture and images,

links with violence or anti-social behaviour,

implications of social, sexual or sporting success,

encouragement of excessive or irresponsible drinking,

advertising during or sponsorship of sports or other events designed and
organised essentially for children and adolescents, participating in such
events,

advertising in print media directed towards children and adolescents,

free distribution of alcoholic drinks for promotional purposes;

Provide a structure for the handling of complaints against
irresponsibly
marketed products by supporting the creation of an independent panel; this
structure should be made known, easy to access and free of charge;

Create a system for ensuring removal of products, which offend a code of
conduct,
inappropriate marketing or
promotional practices ;

from sale, and the cessation of

Ensure the possibility for manufacturers to get pre-launch advice, as a
voluntary service to companies, in advance of marketing a product or investing
in a product, as well as the possibility to get advice on marketing campaigns
before their actual launch;

(16) Urge the representative production and trade organisations of each alcoholic beverage

to demonstrate their commitment to the principles described above ;

- ACCOMPANYING MEASURES -

(17) Report on a regular basis to the Commission on the implementation of

the

recommended measures.

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- FOLLOW-UP AT COMMUNITY LEVEL -

INVITES THE COMMISSION

(1)

(2)

(3)

To support the Member States in their efforts to implement the proposed measures,
especially by collecting and providing relevant comparable data, and by facilitating the
exchange of information and best practices;

To follow-up, assess and monitor the developments and the measures undertaken in
the Member States and at Community level, and to ensure in this context a continuous,
constructive and structured dialogue with all interested parties;

To report on the implementation of the proposed measures, on the basis of the
information provided by Member States, not later than the end of the fifth year after
the date of adoption of this recommendation, to consider the extent to which the
proposed measures are working effectively, and to consider the need for further action.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council
The President

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