Beer, cider and wine are proposed to be allowed to be purchased for up to 20 years

Last week, the Sejm postponed consideration of proposals submitted in the second reading to amend the law on the circulation of alcoholic beverages, which currently proposes to stipulate that all alcoholic beverages should be prohibited from being sold to persons under the age of 20.

As Andris Berzins, Chairman of the Seimas Commission on Social and Labor Issues (SZK), explained to LETA, some coalition and possibly also opposition deputies may propose in the third reading not to raise the age from 18 to 20 years for the purchase of beer, cider and wine.

Berzins himself will not put forward such a proposal and points out that such an exception for drinks with low alcohol content does not comply with the recently adopted cigarette regulation by the Seimas, which states that from 2025 all tobacco products can only be purchased from 20 years of age.

It is also expected that the spirits industry will consider such a division to be a distortion of competition and, if adopted, such a resolution will be challenged in the Constitutional Court, the head of the commission concluded.

As reported, along with amendments to the law “On the circulation of alcoholic products”, other changes are expected, including the introduction of new temporary restrictions on the sale of alcohol – from Monday to Saturday it can be sold from 10:00 to 20:00, and on Sundays from 10:00 to 18:00.