Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - United Kingdom - Alcoholic beverages

NOTIFICATION

The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6

 

1.

Notifying Member: UNITED KINGDOM

If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):

2.

Agency responsible:

Department for Business and Trade: Office for Product Safety and Standards

Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:

UK TBT Enquiry Point

Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations

Department for Business and Trade

Old Admiralty Building

London

SW1A 2DY

tbtenquiriesuk@businessandtrade.gov.uk

3.

Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], 3.2 [ ], 7.2 [ ], other:

4.

Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines (HS code 2204); Sparkling wine (HS code 220410).

5.

Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:

The Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) (Amendment) Regulations 2024; (2 page(s), in English)

6.

Description of content:

This measure will amend the Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988, which regulates the quantities in which certain alcoholic beverages can be sold in Great Britain.

The Statutory Instrument will allow prepacked still and sparkling wine to both be sold in 200ml and 500ml quantities (currently still wine cannot be sold in 200ml, and sparkling wine cannot be sold in 500ml). This will bring more alignment between the two drinks. The changes will also enable a new 568ml 'pint' quantity of still and sparkling wine to be sold. Please see Annex A for a diagram of the current permitted sizes and the proposed new sizes. There is no legal obligation for businesses to sell in the new sizes. New quantities will be able to be sold in Northern Ireland via the NI Retail Movement Scheme.

Quantities of non-prepacked alcohol sold in pubs and restaurants (drinks served by the glass) are outside the scope of this proposal.

7.

Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:

This measure will provide opportunities for innovation and increase consumer choice.

The changes will also help resolve some of the issues experienced by industry with inconsistent sizes for still and sparkling wine, and address availability issues for 187ml cans; Cost saving and productivity enhancement

8.

Relevant documents:

Draft SI - The Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

Annex A - Visual showing new and proposed prepacked alcohol sizes

9.

Proposed date of adoption: 19 March 2024

Proposed date of entry into force: 6 months from adoption

10.

Final date for comments: 60 days from notification

11.

Texts available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:

UK TBT Enquiry Point

Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations

Department for Business and Trade

Old Admiralty Building

London

SW1A 2DY

tbtenquiriesuk@businessandtrade.gov.uk

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/GBR/24_00441_01_e.pdf