Could Ireland review decision on “health warnings” on alcohol labels?

“Ireland will become the first country in the world to introduce full health warning labels on alcohol products. I have signed regulations so that, starting in May 2026, labels will contain information on calorie content, grams of alcohol, and risks of liver disease and cancer”. It was 2023 when, on Twitter, Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, made an announcement about the conversion into law of the Irish regulation requiring alcohol labeling with health warnings, sparking mixed reactions and controversy that has never subsided at the European Union level, and beyond. After almost two years, however, things may change again before they even begin. Not a certainty but, at least for the moment, there is reasoning going on. Ireland could, in fact, go back on the decision of “health warnings” and thus on wine and alcohol labels linked to health risks. Explaining this, reports Ansa, is “Il Sole 24 Ore”, which refers to the possibility of the turnaround announced by the Dublin government last May 2 and reported in local media and on the “Politico” website.
While it is true that implementation is scheduled to begin in May 2026, speaking to the Irish Lower House, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris, explained that the timing for implementation of the measures is “under consideration”. The motivation would be related to the uncertainty scenarios caused by the arrival of tariffs by Donald Trump’s US. The Irish plan on “health warnings” would, the media reports, also be a cause for concern for the United States, since they are whiskey exporters themselves. If the Irish rethink becomes reality, it would have European repercussions as well, with Italy, which has long been on the opposite bank from Ireland. “The news coming from Ireland bodes well and demonstrates the new course of Europe and Italy's ability to interact with member countries”, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida pointed out to ”Il Sole 24 Ore”.