Government snubs EC on guest ale rule
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Government yesterday dismissed the European Commission's claim that the guest beer rules, which allow pub tenants of national brewers to buy a cask-conditioned ale from any supplier, was anti-competitive.
John Taylor, Corporate and Consumer Affairs Minister, said that the Government intends to hold a tripartite meeting with the European Brewers Federation and EC officials to try to resolve the dispute, which could end up in the European Court of Justice.
The EC argued last week that the guest beer provision was discriminatory because cask ales were typically a British product, and therefore excluded draught beers produced by other member states using different fermentation methods.
In response to a letter of concern from the Whitbread brewing company, the minister said it considered that the guest ale arrangements were compatible with the Treaty of Rome.
Whitbread and Camra, the pressure group, welcomed the Government's stance. Whitbread said: "The DTI's comment shows an underlying confidence in the market conditions within which guest beers are sold in the UK."
Camra believes that the guest ale provision has been a liberalising measure since it was introduced four years ago. Ben Wardle of Camra said: "This statement [DTI] gives great hope to Britain's beer drinkers." He said 50 new breweries are opened in Britain every year, most of which sell their beer as guest ales. "There has been an explosion of choice and quality for the drinker," he added.
The Government believes that the tie between national brewers, those that own more than 2,000 pubs, and tenants would be undermined by relaxing the guest ale rules. He also dismissed recent speculation that the Commission's action could lead to the extension of the guest beer provision to include lagers.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments