Confagri says to appeal to EC agst Irish wine health labels

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 16 - Italian farm group Confagricoltura (Confagri for short) on Tuesday said it would appeal to the European Commission against Ireland's new health warnings on wine, beer and spirits saying they break EU norms.
    Also on Tuesday, various EU wine, beer and spirits associations said they would urge the EC to open an infraction procedure against Dublin over its new tobacco-style warnings.
    The president of the Italian Wine Union (UVI), Lamberto Frescobaldi, said they were ready to discuss a new wine labelling system but "Ireland's over-eager start risks opening the field to a Babel of information inside the EU".
    Italy's 20 regions have teamed up in Europe for a united push against Ireland's new proposed wine health warning labels flagging the risk to the liver and links to several types of cancers.
    Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Minister Francesco Lollobrigida said recently that Italy will resist in all shapes and forms Irish health warnings on wine which he said have split Europe and allegedly breach common trade treaties. (ANSA).