EC wants to allow booze orders on the Internet
UK drinkers would be able to order cheap booze from Europe over the Internet under new rules proposed by the European Commission. Gordon Brown is promising to resist a proposal that would allow UK drinkers to place orders with cross-channel booze cruisers or go online to arrange to have cheap drink delivered to their doorstep.
The European Commission want to relax the rules in order to let EU citizens buy alcohol in other member states without having to transport it themselves. The Treasury sees the move as a back-door step towards tax harmonisation.
Under the current laws, citizens have to personally carry beer, wines and spirits across national borders of they want to avoid paying higher duty.
The change would create a new breed of 'professional' booze cruisers taking orders from UK drinkers, and allow Internet firms to set up order-and-delivery services for people buying in bulk from low-duty countries such as France.
The proposal would need the approval of EU finance ministers including Chancellor Gordon Brown, who has strongly resisted EC calls for duty harmonisation.
A Treasury spokesman said: "These two proposals make no sense: shoppers can already buy as much as they like for their own use - the minimum levels are just there to help distinguish between those ordinary shoppers and criminal smugglers.
"And if we allowed everyone to order tax-free alcohol over the Internet, it would drive every off licence in Britain out of business, and rob billions of pounds from our schools, hospitals and other public services."
