Alcohol industry lobbying, especially from an unhinged wine industry, made the alcohol policy elements of the report by the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) the most controversial of the entire debate.
In this Special Feature, we shine a light on the discussion and decision in the European Parliament after Big Alcohol lobbying.
According to IOGT-NTO analysis, out of 70 MEPs speaking, 25 MEPs specifically talked about alcohol and many of those echoed Big Alcohol talking points and myths.
Eventually, the European Parliament voted in favor of Big Alcohol and against scientifically proven alcohol policy solutions in the effort to beat cancer in Europe.
With the help of IOGT-NTO experts in Brussels, we provide analysis of the changes made and how they reflect alcohol industry positions.
The European Commission’s Beating Cancer Plan, as well as the BECA-report contained sound, scientifically unimpeachable, and cost-effective alcohol policy solutions to advance cancer prevention and protect more people from cancer in Europe.
But the alcohol industry mobilized immediately to lobby against alcohol policy improvement, such as informing people in Europe about the fact that alcohol causes cancer through warning labels on all alcohol products.
