The Evin Law Killed Me

At the end of high-level debates, the deputies maintained in committee the bill of health with the relaxation of the law Evin which aims to distinguish advertising and information on wine. During this new reading, MEPs rejected the amendment presented by Catherine Lemorthon (PS), President of the Social Affairs Commission, aiming to delete an article introduced in the Senate previously voted in the face and beard of the Minister of Health Marisol Touraine.

For Catherine Lemorthon, "If we open a corner in the Evin law, we are making a serious mistake in terms of public health "and ended up accusing the assembly of having consulted more organizations for the defense of wine-growing regions than associations for the fight against addictions.

In previous episodes, Parliament voted this summer on a similar amendment relaxing the legislation under the Macron law, but this measure was rejected by the Constitutional Council. In committee, many MEPs from all sides supported the distinction between advertising of alcoholic beverages and wine information presented in the relaxation.

Marisol Touraine finds this relaxation disastrous

Emmanuel Macron, the Minister of the Economy is in favor of this evolution of the law and explained to the microphone of Europe 1 that " It does not contravene public health objectives ", and add "we must allow certain regions and the jobs that go with them to defend their interests". For her part, Marisol Touraine, the Minister of Health stands firm. "I find that quite disastrous", she declared after this vote. Emmanuel Macron is allowed to tackle his counterpart by declaring that "Marisol Touraine has defended in his ministerial logic things […] some regions must be allowed - and the jobs that go with it in France - to defend their interests, to promote what is in fact called wine tourism ".

"This measure, which represents an important issue for the French wine industry, territories and regions. This will provide the opportunity to develop information on wine-growing activity and wine tourism within a clarified legal framework without however calling into question the existing provisions on advertising provided for in the Evin law ", explained Jean-Christophe Fromantin and Philippe Vigier, president of the centrist group UDI.

Let us not forget that the wine industry is the third largest national exporting economic sector and represents no less than 500’000 jobs in 17 regions. Wine is an integral part of our heritage and our know-how and it is essential to support it, to be proud of it and show it.

With these sides the director of INCA - National Cancer Institute - minimizes the omnipotence of the Evin law "We are not prohibitionists […] enhance the visibility of a product, it is to encourage or facilitate its consumption : an augmentation of 1 % investments in alcohol advertising, this is 0,15 % alcohol consumed in addition. Today, it is already possible to communicate about alcohol. It is already widely possible to refer to designations of origin and the olfactory and taste qualities of the product, as well as to advertise it on the Internet, since 2009. It's enough. Opening it even more would be a terrible regression. "