Finland, Sweden Set to Ease Alcohol Laws

Facts

• Finland and Sweden have planned to soften the stringent laws that control the sale of alcoholic beverages to ease up their government monopolies.¹
• The Finnish parliament has approved the sale of fermented beverages with an alcohol content of up to 8%, up from the current limit of 5.5%, in supermarkets.²
• The Swedish government is considering implementing 'farm sales,' which allows alcohol producers to sell a limited amount of alcohol directly to customers.³
• However, the measure restricts sales to guests who have paid for a guided tour or lecture, limiting them to buy only 0.7 liters of alcohol and three liters of wine and beer.⁴
• In Finland and Sweden — the only EU countries with alcohol monopolies — only state-owned or licensed pubs and restaurants are allowed to sell alcohol, apparently to limit consumption to protect public health.¹

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Helsinki Times, ³Az and ⁴Hürriyet Daily News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Barrons. This proposal is a step toward greater freedom. Swedes and Finns stand apart from the rest of Europe due to their strict alcohol policies. Allowing small-scale brewers, distilleries, and wineries to sell alcoholic beverages directly to visitors at their establishments would bring Sweden more in line with the rest of the continent. Significantly, this limited reform would benefit around 600 small businesses while maintaining the strict alcohol monopoly.
• Narrative B, as provided by Movendi International. The Swedish government's proposal to allow farm sales of alcoholic beverages is nothing less than a Trojan Horse for multinational alcohol producers rather than benefiting small, local independent breweries. This proposal undermines the alcohol monopoly and aims to overthrow it. It may lead to an increase in alcohol-related deaths, bringing those numbers more in line with the EU. Such proposals could have a detrimental impact on public health.

Predictions