Supreme Court backs Scottish minimum alcohol pricing
May 2012: MSPs pass Scots booze price plan
May 2013: Minimum drink price challenge fails
December 2015: Minimum drink price ’may breach EU law’
October 2016: Courts back minimum alcohol price
December 2016: Whisky firms allowed minimum price appeal
July 2017: Supreme Court judges retire to consider minimum pricing appeal
The UK government supported the devolved Scottish administration during the legal process, arguing that minimum pricing was compatible with EU law.
The European court said the legislation might break EU law if other tax options would prove as effective,
but said it was “ultimately for the national court to determine” whether they did.
Scotch Whisky Association chief executive Karen Betts said: “We will now look to the Scottish and UK governments to support the industry against the negative effects of trade barriers being raised in overseas markets
that discriminate against Scotch Whisky as a consequence of minimum pricing, and to argue for fair competition on our behalf.”
Minimum pricing would not allow retailers to “absorb” the cost in the way a duty rise would, they said.
The Scottish court subsequently backed the measures for a second time, ruling that tax measures “would be less effective than minimum pricing”.
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