I told you about the possible relaxation of this famous law criticized last June in the article : What if easing the Evin law was a good thing ?
The article 225 of the Macron law, who foresaw this famous relaxation, was rejected by the Constitutional Council this summer. But the proposal stormed back yesterday (15 September) and seems to have won a first battle.
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| The national assembly, next battle for easing |
Senate amends Evin law for good
The Senate accepted the amendment allowing this law to be amended to distinguish between advertising of alcoholic beverages and wine information, and this in the face and beard of the government in opposition. In total, 287 of 320 Senators present approved the text. On the 348 senators - normally - present at the Luxembourg Palace, this represents a - slight - majority of 82 % !
What is the content of this amendment to the law Evin ?
This text aims to clarify the law so that "journalistic or wine tourism content devoted to a production region or to cultural heritage, gastronomic or landscape related to an alcoholic drink 'are not assimilated to advertising. The objective is of course to avoid the legal vagueness that existed until then, training journalists and industry professionals to self-censor to avoid facing justice.
"Is considered propaganda or publicity, within the meaning of this book, a communication operation carried out in favor of a product or service, arising from the activity of a person having an interest in promoting said product or service and likely to be perceived as an act of promotion by a consumer of average attention. "
Who are the opponents and what is the result of this war ?
Minister of Health, Marisol Touraine is obviously opposed to this text recalling that 50’000 people die each year from alcohol. According to her, wine advertising already exists and the law allows a fair balance to promote the promotion of oenology. Monday, some twenty prevention associations have agreed to firmly oppose this evolution of the Evin law and "that no decision contrary to public health be included in a law intended to promote health" while denouncing the "coup de force of the lobbying of alcohol". Alcoholologists took part in the debate by recalling that "advertising expenditure for alcoholic beverages has steadily increased to reach 460 million euros in 2011, be well beyond 3,5 million credits dedicated to prevention in this area ”.
The last step - and not the least - is the passage of the text to the vote of the National Assembly in order to enter into force. MEPs will therefore decide the issue in a few weeks and the end is uncertain..
The opinion of Beaux-vins
I'm not here to impose a way of thinking on you, but rather to arouse your curiosity and to form your own opinion.
In my opinion, education to drink wine is a good method to fight against alcoholism. Rather than punish, learning about wine through tourism or oenology teaches how to consume it better - drink less, but better —, to match wine with a meal and to raise awareness of the risks of irresponsible consumption. Today, it is almost impossible to give a positive opinion about wine without it being seen as an incitement to alcohol abuse. Far from bringing down alcoholism in France, I wonder if the anti-wine laws are not ultimately the consequence. Senator de l'Aube even goes so far as to mention "that wine-growing regions are those where the proportion of alcoholic diseases is the lowest. This is certainly explained by education in responsible and moderate consumption. "
In a letter from 3 August 1931, the Minister of Public Instruction Marius Roustain declared "Nothing is better to fight alcoholism than to encourage the moderate use of wine, because those who make wine their daily drink escape the inevitable need to replace it with alcohol. "
And you what do you think ?
Jean-Nicolas Mouretin
Read also on the Evin Law:
- "The Evin Law Killed Me"
- MEPs vote in favor of clarification
- What if relaxing this law was a good thing ?
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