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IEA - Rejection of minimum alcohol pricing is a step in the right direction

ECJ is right to stick to its principles on minimum pricing

Commenting on the decision by the European Court of Justice on whether minimum alcohol pricing is legal under EU law, Christopher Snowdon, Director of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:

"It is reassuring to see the EU sticking to the principles of the common market. The ECJ has previously rejected attempts to create a minimum price for fuel and tobacco so we are not surprised by this announcement. The Scottish government, goaded on by fanatical public health groups, has wasted a great deal of money pursuing this vanity project even after the European Commission warned them against it. It is now likelier than ever that they will lose the case. If so, they will be answerable to the taxpayers whose money they have squandered."

Notes to editors:

To arrange an interview with an IEA spokesperson, please contact Camilla Goodwin, Communications Officer on 0207 799 8920 or 07821 971 443.

The mission of the Institute of Economic Affairs is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems.
 
The IEA is a registered educational charity and independent of all political parties.

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