Alcohol | Change to the home delivery of alcohol law – you could also order domestic wines and craft beers to your doorstep or to the park

For domestic people next year, small wineries and craft breweries will have the right to deliver home wines and craft beers to consumers, if the government’s proposal passes. The draft law on home delivery of alcohol has been changed from the version that was in the opinion round, among other things, in this regard.

According to the draft presentation seen by STT, small wine farms would be allowed to deliver drinks with a maximum of 13 percent and small breweries with a maximum of 12 percent to consumers’ homes and other permitted delivery locations.

The right would apply to wineries and craft breweries, which are already allowed to sell their own products from the place of production. According to the current law, the production of such a winery must be less than 100,000 liters and that of a craft brewery less than 500,000 liters per year.

Due to this key change, the proposal has also been notified, i.e. sent for information again to the EU Commission.

In their statements, the Viinitilat ry, Pienpanimoliitto and Ulutliitto, among others, hoped for a change. It is in accordance with the government program.

Based on feedback from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM), other major and minor amendments have been made to the bill allowing home delivery of alcohol also from domestic suppliers.

Presentation draft on the basis of, for example, the ban on delivery of alcohol has been strictly limited. The law now clearly lists public places where the delivery of alcohol would be prohibited.

The delivery ban would apply to the same public places where consuming your own alcoholic beverages is prohibited. Such are, for example, restaurants serving alcohol, public gatherings in accordance with the Assembly Act and events where the police have ordered a ban on the consumption of alcohol, even if it would otherwise be permitted.

In addition, it would be prohibited to deliver to, for example, social and health care units, daycare centers, schools and youth centers.

It would be allowed to deliver alcohol to public places, such as parks and beaches, where the consumption of alcohol is already allowed today. Delivery would, however, be prohibited to places where the police have ordered a ban on the consumption of alcohol to maintain public order.

The bill has also been amended so that, in the case of handing over alcohol, everyone must be asked for an ID, regardless of how old the recipient looks. In addition, a trace of identity verification must be left in the systems.

When buying alcohol online, strong identification is required.

Reviewed the bill will be delayed by a couple of weeks from the original schedule due to filings. The goal is to get the motion to parliament by October 10 at the latest.

The law is scheduled to enter into force at the beginning of next year, but it may be delayed because, for example, the social and health committee of the parliament is overcrowded.

Home delivery of alcohol is allowed in slightly different ways in, for example, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Estonia.

However, according to the presentation, three times the number of people in Finland die from alcohol-related diseases and poisoning compared to, for example, Sweden and Norway.

Statements became more than 80 by the end of August. Social and health authorities and substance abuse organizations have rejected the show because they fear it will increase alcohol’s harm. The Police Board also assessed in its statement that the changes would cause more work for the police due to the increase in disorderly conduct and home alarm duties.

On the other hand, for example, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Agency (KKV) considers that the proposal would equalize the competition between domestic and foreign alcohol sellers. Nowadays, in Finland, you can buy alcohol delivered to your door from foreign alcohol sellers, but not from domestic ones.

The police have hoped for a delay in the law between purchase and delivery also when ordering from a domestic supplier, but there is no such thing in the proposal.

“Delivery sales also make it possible to order food drinks, such as beer or a maximum of 8% wine, in connection with the restaurant’s food order. This is commonplace in Europe,” a government source describes.

According to the proposal, alcoholic beverages with a maximum of eight percent alcohol produced by fermentation and a maximum of 5.5 percent alcohol produced in other ways could be ordered from, for example, shops, kiosks, restaurants and transport services such as Wolt. In addition, Alko would have the right to sell its own products, such as wines, via the online store as home delivery.

The home delivery time would be the same 9-21 as the retail sales hours. Alko’s sales times apply to Alko’s products. Limiting the night time is believed to contribute to reducing disorder.

Alcohol delivery will be subject to a permit and the criteria for obtaining a permit are becoming quite strict, STT is told. Obtaining a delivery permit would require, for example, a comprehensive self-monitoring plan.

In addition, all suppliers of alcohol would be required to have a delivery pass completed at a Finnish educational institution. Getting a delivery pass requires passing a test prepared by Valvira.

The company that has received a delivery permit has the obligation to ensure that each of its own drivers has a valid delivery passport.

“Some of the companies may criticize the model as too bureaucratic or expensive, but we wanted to build a model that is as responsible as possible,” says one government source.

The authorities would monitor compliance with age limits and other rules by, for example, test purchases. In order to cover the costs of supervision, the minimum supervision fee for a company with a delivery permit is 100 euros, and if the number of deliveries exceeds one thousand alcohol shipments, 10 cents for each shipment.

Health and according to the opinion of the Finnish Welfare Institute (THL), viable and right-oriented solutions have been made to the proposal in order to reduce the harm caused by alcohol. However, THL opposes the proposal.

For example, in its statement, the Finnish Trade Federation calls for the same requirements for foreign operators as for domestic operators. Otherwise, in its opinion, the competitive situation will continue to be unfair.

“Alcoholic beverages can already be ordered from abroad and delivered to the buyer without any requirements for the driver or recipient,” the association points out in its statement.