On April 02, France abrogated the special tax on strong beers, backing down after Belgian brewers complained it would unfairly discriminate against their potent beverages, Reuters reported. The French finance ministry had planned to hike tenfold taxes (up to EUR 2) on beers with an alcohol content of over 8.5%. "The levy was justified by public health considerations," according to a statement. "But European Union rules ban any discrimination against products from other member states".

The tax would have hurt about 25 Belgian brewers, including those behind the potent Chimay, Westmalle and Rochefort brands. The strongest among them has about 12% alcohol. Although its effect would have been marginal for Interbrew, the brewer of such global brands as Stella Artois and Beck's, it threw its support behind the small brewers.

Traditionally a wine-loving nation, France is nonetheless the biggest single importer of Belgian beer, drinking around 3 million hl of it per annum. The decision to suspend the tax came after Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders convinced his French counterpart Francis Mer to back down during talks in Brussels in February, according to Belgian officials.

03 April, 2003