Alcohol, Estonia, Legislation, Markets and Companies

“We see a major contradiction in the Government’s alcohol policy developments; on one hand sales and advertising restrictions on alcohol are made stricter and accessibility to alcohol is made more difficult, and on the other hand conditions are created to enable growing consumption of alcohol in public places,” said Marika Merilai, Managing Director of the Estonian Association of Retailers.

She added that as consumption of alcohol on the streets has grown in only a few months, everyone can see the negative sides – areas surrounding shops have become unregistered open-air bars.

Merilai said that in reaction, local governments have been forced to impose additional restrictions on their territories in order to guarantee public order. “Retailers feel that in such a small country as Estonia restrictions and standards should be uniform in the entire country, and restrictions on consuming alcohol in public places should also be imposed across the country,” she remarked.