Eurocare at CCFL48: Paving the Way for Global Progress on Alcohol Labelling

Eurocare participated in the 48th session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL48), held in Quebec City, Canada, from October 27 to November 1, 2024. The session provided a valuable platform to discuss alcohol labelling under agenda item 9, highlighting significant support among Member States for initiating new work on this critical issue.

Eurocare voicing issues of alcohol related harm at the Codex Alimentarius

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) was established in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to achieve international consensus on food standards. This includes guidelines on labelling to protect consumer health, ensure good food quality, and reduce trade barriers. Decisions at Codex are made by consensus among Member States, while approved observers, like Eurocare, provide comments and play a supportive role in the development of standards. Decisions on food and alcohol labelling are made by the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL).

48th Session of CCFL (CCFL48)

As the only NGO with observer status at Codex dedicated to prevent alcohol-related harm, Eurocare attended the CCFL48 in-person, to ensure public health interests were represented during discussions on alcohol labelling. Eurocare was represented by Nikhil Gokani, Chair of Eurocare’s Official Expert Committee: Alcohol Labelling Health Warnings International Expert Group (ALHWIEG), and Amalie Brokhattingen, Research and Policy Officer at Eurocare.

Prior to CCFL48, the WHO published a Discussion Paper (CX/FL 24/48/9) summarizing feedback from Member States and Observers in response to a Circular Letter (CL 2024/13-FL) seeking input on the need for new work on alcohol labelling and its scope. In close collaboration with ALHWIEG, Eurocare crafted an evidence-based response to the Circular Letter and subsequently prepared a brief on International alcohol labelling standards at the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This brief was shared with relevant Member States and stakeholders to support their preparation for CCFL48. In addition, Eurocare developed a commentary conference room document (FL/48 CRD11) for the CCFL48, which was shared by the Codex Secretariate.

By attending CCFL48 in-person, Eurocare aimed to voice health concerns about alcohol in a forum that is often overpowered with industry-dominated views. Additionally, Eurocare worked to encourage progressive Member States to speak up in support of public health interests and/or take the lead on this critical issue while offering technical support to facilitate the process.

CCFL48 Discussions

The discussions on alcohol labelling, took place on Wednesday morning on the fourth day of the CCFL48. The discussion reflected great support among Member States, with a significant number of Member States speaking up in support of initiating new work on alcohol labelling at the CCFL. Among comments made by Member States, the key points highlighting the need for new work on Alcohol labelling included: 

• Global harmonization: With many countries adopting regulations for alcohol labelling, such as alcohol-by-volume (ABV) declarations and health warnings, new work would help support regulatory harmonization.
• Targeted Revisions: Revising existing Codex texts could close gaps and clarify rules specifically for alcoholic beverages, avoiding fragmented standards.
• Consumers' right to know: Ensuring accurate and truthful labelling could help consumers make informed decisions about alcohol products.

As an Observer, Eurocare thanked the World Health Organisation (WHO) for its leadership on alcohol labelling and stressed the urgency of standardizing regulations to address growing fragmentation and to protect consumers’ right to information. While Codex texts cover some aspects of alcohol labelling, they lack guidance for health warnings and claims. Eurocare emphasized the increasing global momentum for alcohol labelling and the need for harmonized regulation to inform consumers and reduce alcohol-related harms. Other public health observers also spoke up in support of consumer health, including the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) and the World Obesity Federation (WOF). Expectedly, industry representatives spoke up against initiating new work on alcohol labelling, pointing to their internally developed standards for the labelling of wine, as providing sufficient guidance for labelling of alcoholic beverages. Naturally, such industry guidelines can not (and should not) be considered internationally agreed standards, such as those set by consensus at the Codex Alimentarius. It is important to note that the Industry was notably large in numbers within the room, and the ratio of industry observers and public health observers, were largely disproportionate. Moreover, although the Codex Alimentarius is equally centred around health, most Member States are represented by agriculture, food and trade authorities rather than national health authorities.

No Member State Volunteered to take to lead on the proposed new work on alcohol labelling during the discussions. Consequently, the scope of such work was not discussed.

A country proposed to have a side event during the next session of the CCFL (CCFL49) during which Member States can discuss the importance, as well as share knowledge and national experience with alcohol labelling. This proposal was supported by other countries.

The conclusions

Following the discussions at CCFL48, and in the absence of a Member State initially stepping forward to lead, the issue of alcohol labelling was placed in the inventory of potential new work for the CCFL. This placement means that, unless a Member State volunteers to develop a project document on alcohol labelling before CCFL49, the topic risks being removed from the Codex agenda.

However, thanks to Eurocare’s extensive bilateral efforts leading up to and during CCFL48, significant progress was achieved. A country has volunteered to lead the development of a project document on alcohol labelling, with support from WHO and Eurocare. Additionally, other countries have expressed their readiness to co-lead this important initiative.

While the conclusions from CCFL48 indicate that countries are not yet ready to fully commit to leading future work on alcohol labelling at Codex, this outcome should not be viewed as a setback. The widespread support among Member States and the willingness of several to engage in the development of a project document highlight the growing momentum for this critical issue.

The increasing focus on alcohol labelling, particularly regarding health warnings, is evident. Many countries are currently developing national and regional policies, and several have enacted new alcohol labelling laws, some of which have yet to take effect. Allowing more time provides these nations an opportunity to assess their policies and align them with broader international efforts. Additionally, this extra time will enable the publication of ongoing experimental studies on the effectiveness of health warning labels, which can further inform and strengthen future Codex work on alcohol labelling.

The draft report from CCFL48 initially reflected only the views of industry observers, omitting critical perspectives from public health observers. However, thanks to the strong presence and vocal advocacy of public health observers—particularly Eurocare—several important public health points were successfully included in the final report of the 48th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling. These points addressed:

1. The significant knowledge gap among consumers about the health risks of alcohol, including its link to cancer.
2. The shortcomings of existing Codex texts in addressing the unique harms of alcohol.
3. The absence of international standards for health warnings, despite evidence of their effectiveness in reducing alcohol consumption and sales.

These results highlights the vital role of public health observers—and especially Eurocare—in shaping the discussions on alcohol labelling at Codex. Their contributions ensured that the consumer’s right to information and health-focused priorities remained central in the discussions and adaptation of the report.

Next Steps

As leading advocates in alcohol labelling and the only Codex Observer dedicated to reducing alcohol-related harm, Eurocare is prepared to provide expert technical support in developing the project document ahead of CCFL49, and is already in successful dialogue with one Member State.

The next session of the CCFL is scheduled to take place in approximately 18 months. During this time, civil society organizations and Health Ministries concerned with alcohol-related harm and labelling are strongly encouraged to identify their national Codex contact points and actively participate in national discussions related to Codex priorities. Collaboration at this level will be key to driving progress on alcohol labelling at the international stage.