”Internet trade with alcohol is practically dead”
IOGT-NTO Sweden President:"Internet trade with alcohol is practically dead"
The answer from the EC Court today, that Internet trade with alcohol cannot be prohibited is regretted by the largest Swedish temperance organisation IOGT-NTO. The verdict though will have a very limited effect as taxes, due to a previous verdict, for each order have to be paid in Sweden.
– The verdict sadly shows that the EC Court has paid no attention to public health, says the President of IOGT-NTO, Mr Sven-Olov Carlsson. The now permitted trade with alcohol on Internet will for instance make it much more difficult to control the age limits of the buyers.
The primary power of motive behind the Internet trade with alcohol has been the price. This incentive disappeared by the end of last year following a verdict of the EC Court. The so called Joustra case verdict determines that anyone in Sweden who orders alcohol from abroad must pay Swedish tax.
- Relating to that, todays verdict probably will have very limited effect. I doubt that people to great extent will order alcohol via Internet when they know that they have to pay Swedish alcohol tax.
- Now heavy demands must be made upon Customs – and Tax authorities to rapidly establish an efficient control apparatus to ensure that Swedish alcohol tax is paid with every order, concludes Sven-Olov Carlsson.
Fore further information Sven-Olov Carlsson, President, IOGT-NTO +46 70 554 99 89
Pierre Andersson, acting Press Secretary +46 70 593 18 07