French wine group lobbies ministers over health bill

French wine producers have increased their lobbying of the country's government in the hope of preventing tougher measures against alcohol and greater clarity on the rules around publicity in an upcoming public health bill.

A Vin & Societe campaign poster

Voluntary organisation Vin & Societe, which represents wine trade bodies across France, said this week that it continues to have concerns that ministers plan to tighten the country’s Evin Law, which governs publicity and marketing on alcoholic drinks.

France’s health ministry is next week scheduled to release proposals for a new public health law.

Vin & Societe, which claims to have 500,000 members, has long been concerned that this would entail health warnings on wine labels, higher tax on wine and policing of media articles about wine.

Previously, a spokesperson for the health ministry told Decanter.com that it had no plans to introduce warning labels or higher tax.

But, Vin & Societe said that there continues to be ‘confusion’ in the Evin Law between what constitutes publicity and what constitutes journalism.

Vin & Societe’s president, Joel Forgeau, said it was no longer clear where the boundaries of the Evin Law lie. This, he said, needs to be fixed as part of any health law.

Written by Chris Mercer