Ireland defers alcohol labelling plans until 2029
Plans for health labels to be applied to alcoholic drinks in Ireland are expected to be postponed until 2029.
In 2023, the Irish government proposed introducing additional labelling information for alcoholic beverages, including cancer warnings similar to those found on cigarette packaging.
This mandatory health labelling for alcohol products was among a raft of measures included in the Public Health Alcohol Act, and the plan had been to introduce the labels in May 2026.
However, in an email sent to members of its trade forum on Tuesday, the government signalled that a decision on deferring the long-planned move will be made next week, and it is expected that the introduction of such labels will be moved to 2029.
When the plans were first revealed, trade association Spirits Europe called upon the European Commission to investigate the proposed alcohol labelling rules in Ireland for allegedly breaching EU law.
At the time, Spirits Europe said the draft regulation represented a ‘disproportionate trade barrier hampering the free movement of goods’, and that in practice, it would prevent economic operators from selling alcoholic beverages legally sold in all other EU member states in Ireland, unless the products were re-labelled with additional information.
In the face of crippling US tariffs, government ministers have been hinting that the implementation of the legislation would likely be delayed.
On Tuesday (15 July) minister for enterprise Peter Burke, who has been supportive of a delay in the measure, said he was awaiting a Cabinet decision on the status of the labelling plans.
He said regulation for alcohol labelling must be “proportionate”, that alcohol consumption in Ireland is on a “downward trajectory” and “we have to protect our indigenous sector”.
He noted that some distillers have ceased or reduced production and he highlighted the pressure of labelling as an additional cost to businesses, adding that his view is Ireland should “move with Europe” and “do it together”.
He said: “Acting unilaterally on a sector that is vulnerable through tariffs is not a good idea.”
Ireland’s taoiseach Micheál Martin suggested that any advances in this area would be “in concert with the European Union”.
Martin also said the majority of measures in the Public Health Alcohol Act that includes the plans for the labels have been implemented, and there has been “a very effective implementation on the broader act in respect of public health”.
Under the law, once implemented, all bottles, cans and other alcohol containers must contain a back label stating: drinking alcohol causes liver disease; there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers; a warning symbol for drinking when pregnant; and the HSE website AskAboutAlcohol.
The label should also state the quantity of grams of alcohol and the energy value expressed in kilojoules and kilocalories. The label must be at least 60mm wide and not less than 30mm high surrounded by a black border.
Related news
Rye rejection: EU whisky meets labelling roadblock
