Unifying rules and making it easier for small producers are the most important assumptions of the planned reform of excise duties on alcoholic beverages at EU level. The European Commission also wants to reduce the risk of industrial alcohol being used to produce alcohol.
According to the EC, EU regulations on excise duties on alcoholic beverages have not been updated for too long and require reform.
A single certification system is planned to benefit small alcoholic producers in all Community countries. The EC assumes that the reform will facilitate small businesses and reduce unnecessary formal barriers.
The European Commission also intends to focus on digitalisation. Some systems for monitoring alcohol movements will be modernised. The process is moving towards moving away from paper documents in this respect.
It is also planned to clarify the classification of cider (an alcoholic beverage based on apples not being wine or beer).
The need to prevent the misuse of industrial alcohol has also been highlighted. Alcohol for the production of, for example, cleaning agents is exempt from excise duty. This may be a temptation for unfair traders who will decide to use it as an ingredient in alcoholic beverages offered to consumers. For this reason, improvements are planned.
The European Commission's proposals will be presented to the European Parliament.