EC requests ban on Czech liquor exports

Brussels, Sept 19 (CTK) - The European Commission yesterday asked the Czech Republic to ban liquor exports over a series of deaths caused by tainted alcohol, said Czech MEP Pavel Poc who called for the meeting of the EP committee on the environment, public heath and safety where an EC official presented the request.

Poc (Social Democrats, CSSD) said the Czech government is either to follow the EC recommendation or argue why such a step is not needed.

He said he believes similar bans are no real solution to the situation. He pointed out that the exports ban would concern officially produced alcohol that is safe.

"Fair producers would be unnecessarily afflicted," Poc said.

Alcohol laced with methanol has killed more than 20 people in the Czech Republic. The first confirmed victim died on September 6.

European Commissioner John Dalli, in charge of health and consumer policy, yesterday called Czech Health Minister Leos Heger (TOP 09) over the methanol poisoning affair. Dalli asked Heger to halt its exports of spirits.

Slovakia imposed a ban on imports of liquor from the Czech Republic on Tuesday. Poland took this step already on Sunday. Four Slovaks have been poisoned by Czech bootleg alcohol, but the state of none of them seems to be critical. In Poland, several people died of methanol poisoning recently, but it is unclear where the lethal liquor came from.

Russia tightened checks on alcohol beverages from the Czech Republic.

The Czech government banned serving and sales of hard liquor last week. It is now discussing a gradual lifting of the ban.

MEP Milan Cabrnoch (Civic Democrats, ODS) said it is understandable that other EU countries want guarantees that the suspicious alcohol does not threaten health of their citizens.

Cabrnoch said Heger is responsible for reaching an agreement on the rules that would not harm Czech companies but also guarantee that the health of European people would not be threatened.

Another Czech MEP and one of the presidential candidates, Zuzana Roithova (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL), said the possible ban on liquor exports would be a very short-term measure.