General
By a Newsnet reporter
SNP MSP Bob Doris has welcomed an EU indication that the Scottish Government’s plans to introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol will be permissible under European Union law.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon held talks with EU Health Commissioner John Dalli and other senior officials in Brussels this week, and has claimed that the message coming from the European Commission is that the proposals will not fall foul of EU law.
Following the meeting with the EU Health Commissioner, Ms Sturgeon said:
“The very clear message coming from the commission was confirmation that minimum pricing for alcohol is entirely compatible in principle with EU law.”
However speaking to the BBC, Mr Dalli’s spokesman, Frederic Vincent, issued a note of caution as the precise details of the Scottish plans will have yet to be examined by EU lawyers.
Mr Vincent said: “We will have to check if Scotland’s proposals are compatible with EU law. At this stage we don’t know.”
However Mr Vincent did not deny that the principle of mininum pricing conformed with EU law.
BBC reports
Mr Vincent’s message was reported by the BBC as a “denial” that mininum pricing will be legal and the impression given was that the Commission did not ‘back’ the plans.
However independent observers believe that Mr Vincent’s statement merely means that the Scottish government may have to change some of the details of their proposal should these be found to be incompatible with EU law, but that the basic principle has been accepted by the EU Health Commissioner.
The Labour party in Scotland have come out strongly against mininum pricing for alcohol, their objections being partly based on the claim that the idea is in breach of EU law. Mr Dalli’s assurances to Ms Sturgeon deprive opponents of minimum pricing of their main argument.
Mr Doris, SNP MSP for Glasgow and deputy convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee, said:
“The SNP has always understood that minimum pricing would be perfectly legal, but this confirmation from the Health Commissioner himself is very welcome nonetheless.
“The issue of legality has been used a smokescreen by opponents of minimum pricing, but that excuse is no longer available to them. They must now accept that the principle of minimum pricing is legally acceptable to the EU and that there is no legal barrier to the Scottish Government legislating to introduce it.
“Alcohol-fuelled ill health and social disorder is serious issue in our society and one that the SNP is tackling head on. Last week’s independent report by the University of Sheffield reaffirmed that minimum pricing will be a powerful weapon in addressing Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with the bottle, which is why it is backed by medical, public health and criminal justice experts.
“Now that any lingering objections on legal grounds have been addressed, I hope that MSPs of all parties will unite in support of minimum pricing.”
The Health Secretary has been accused of making an “embarrassing gaffe” after meeting the wrong EU Commissioner about her plans to set a minimum unit price for alcohol.
Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon met with EU Commissioner for Health John Dalli earlier this week to discuss her plans to introduce a minimum price per unit for alcohol.
Quote:
Labour MEP Catherine Stihler said:
“At best this is cack-handed diplomacy, at worst this is a deliberate distortion of the Commissioner’s position.
“Despite all their spin at no point did the Commissioner say that minimum unit pricing was legal under EU law.
“The SNP have embarrassed themselves on the international stage, but my concern is that it reflects poorly on Scotland as a whole.”
Quote:
“The SNP stand for tearing apart the UK. How can they be expected to run a country if they’re incapable of meeting with the correct Commissioner?
“It’s clear that in tripling their budget for spin, the SNP have decided to avoid reporting the facts, instead briefing the press on entirely made up outcomes from the meeting. “
I think Ms Sturgeon has been economical with the truth but generous with the spin.
I think you’ve just described the unionist supporting parties in general and the Labour lot in particular – Iraq war, non-existent WMDs, dodgy dossier, anyone? And more recently the myth and lies about “global firms” being “concerned” about investing in Scotland because of the “uncertainty” being caused by the referendum debate – according to Cameron, Osbourne, Moore, the Alexanders, Bain, et al.