2024-04-17 13:39:09
The proposal to ban the sale of alcohol in DUS was not in the original draft law developed by the Ministry of Health (MoH), but it was proposed by several members of parliament.
The president of the Association of Fuel Dealers, Ojars Karčevskis, emphasized that the discussion about the restriction to sell alcohol in DUS is not new, but so far such proposals have been rejected. According to the president of the association, the Legal Office of the Saeima has concluded that such a restriction violates the Constitution. The draft law does not provide an explanation of the difference between the DUS sales point and other establishments next to the road, Karčevskis said.
The Competition Council (KP) called for an assessment of whether such restrictions are objectively necessary to achieve the purpose of the amendments. In the opinion of KP, imposing a ban would affect competition between market participants.
Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Artjoms Uršulskis (JV) stated that there are several countries where there is a ban on the sale of alcohol in DUS – Lithuania, Greece, Cyprus and the Netherlands. There are also several countries with other restrictions, for example in Portugal there is a ban on the sale of alcohol in DUS, which is located on highways and outside built-up areas.
The representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs assessed that the opinion of the Legal Office is strictly legal, without assessing public health issues. He reminded that the policy planning documents, among other things, clearly define the overarching goal and task of reducing alcohol consumption among the population of Latvia.
The chairman of the commission, Andris Bērziņš (ZZS), did not agree that DUS is making the scapegoat, because there is no research on the fact that “when you enter a gas station, you pour 20 liters of fuel and a liter of alcohol into yourself”. The deputy also noted that DUS alcoholic beverages are more expensive.
The beer industry called for the proposal not to be supported, as it would unduly restrict competition. There is no reason to believe that DUS differs from other retail outlets.
On the other hand, MP, former Minister of Health Ingūna Circene (JV) emphasized that DUS is not equal to a store, because you cannot buy a large part of household goods there. Deputy Zane Skujiņa-Rubene (JV), who is one of the authors of the proposal, stated that the purpose of the proposal was to limit impulsive purchases. In the opinion of the politician, if it is allowed to buy alcohol in DUS, then it is a kind of signal that driving under the influence of alcohol is acceptable.
Also, the commission did not support the proposal of former Saeima member Jurģ Klotiņas (NA) to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages to persons who are under the influence of alcohol.
2024-04-17 13:39:09