Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Thursday Ireland's plan to introduce health warnings on wine, beer and spirits like those on cigarettes was "absurd", echoing protests from Italian wine producers.
"Ireland's decision to introduce a (health warning) label on all alcoholic beverages, including Italian wine, is absurd," the minister tweeted.
Tajani said the decision had been taken against the opposition of the European Parliament and stressed "this choice ignores the difference between moderate consumption and abuse of alcohol." He said he would ask the European Commission to intervene by complaining to the World Trade Organization.
The European Union's decision not to oppose Ireland's plan to bring in health warnings like those on cigarette packets for wines, beers and spirits has stirred widespread anger in Italy.
Dublin is free to bring in the warnings about health risks risks linked to liver disease and cancer after it informed the European Commission of its plans in June 2022 and the EU executive did not raise objections in the ensuing six-month moratorium period even though Italy, France, Spain and six other EU member States were against.
Italian wine producers fear the move will set a precedent that other countries may follow and affect exports.
Italian farmers' association Coldiretti called it a "direct attack on Italy, the main producer and exporter (of wine) with over 14 billion euros in (annual) revenue, with over half coming from abroad".
Lamberto Frescobaldi, the president of the Italian Wines Union (UIV), said the EU's "consent by silence" to Ireland's alcoholic drinks labels gave the green light to a "dangerous" move by a member State.
Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry Undersecretary Luigi D'Eramo expressed dismay too.
"You don't protect public health by criminalizing individual products," D'Eramo said in a statement on Thursday.
"Wine is history, culture, an expression of our territories to us and it is part of the Mediterranean diet.
"It is about quality and responsible consumption.
"(The health warning plan) is a dangerous precedent that, if followed by other countries, risks damaging a leading sector of our food-agriculture system.
"Wine and beer cannot be compared to spirits and smoking".
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