Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of changes to the requirements for labelling (1) wine, (2) sparkling wine, and (3) spirits, imported into the UK that will come into force at the end of the transition period.

No specific assessment for wine or spirit labelling has been undertaken. However, Parliament has already passed the EU Withdrawal Act. Consistent with the Act, the changes that the secondary legislation stemming from it will make to labelling rules are necessary to correct deficiencies in retained EU law, including in relation to the information provided to consumers about the products they buy.

Currently, EU wine imported into the UK needs to show the bottler or, in the case of sparkling wine, the name of the producer or vendor. From 1 January 2021 (subject to any period that is allowed for adoption of the new requirements), wine imported into Great Britain will in addition need to show the importer or, in the case of bulk shipments, the bottler.