An EU proposal to abolish set bottle sizes for spirits has been abandoned after representations from the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) & EU spirits producers. Since 1993, there has been a set range of permitted bottle sizes for spirit drinks in the EU. As part of a deregulation plan, EC proposals would have abolished that range, including the main 70cl size, with consumers facing a plethora of similar sized products. The Commission amended its plans to recognise the important of & to retain set bottle sizes for spirit drinks & the EU Parliament formally approved these proposals in May. Nick Soper, the SWA's EU affairs director said: "This decision is good news for consumers. Research shows that consumers prefer standard sizes, finding them easy to understand & an aid to making shopping decisions. Before regulation, over 60 bottles could be found on the market, all of slightly different sizes and quantities and they were confusing to consumers. Standard bottle sizes have also supported distillers investment in high speed bottling facilities as well as in lightweight glass, which brings substantial raw material and energy savings. At the same time, the existing regulation of bottle sizes promotes fair competition in the sector."
