Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2026) 1844
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2026/0352/LT
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
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Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20261844.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2026 0352 LT EN 10-07-2026 LT NOTIF
2. Lithuania
3A. Lietuvos akreditacijos ir standartizacijos agentūra
Mindaugo g. 12, 03225 Vilnius
Tel. +370 630 66782
Elektroninis paštas: info@lasa.gov.lt
3B. Lietuvos Respublikos sveikatos apsaugos ministerija
Vilniaus g. 33, LT-01402 Vilnius
Tel. +370 (8) 006 6004
Elektroninis paštas: ministerija@sam.lt
4. 2026/0352/LT - X00M - GOODS AND MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCTS
5. Government Bill No XVP-893(3) amending Article 6-1 of Law No VIII-1608 on Food of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as the Government Bill)
6. Non-alcoholic beverages whose names include the designation of a group, sub-group and/or category of alcoholic beverages, as defined by an authority authorised by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania or by directly applicable EU legislation
7.
8. The Government Bill aims to prohibit the sale, purchase or other transfer of non-alcoholic beverages whose names include the designation of a group, sub-group and/or category of alcoholic beverages, as defined by an authority authorised by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in accordance with the Law on Alcohol Control of the Republic of Lithuania or by directly applicable European Union legislation, to persons under 18 years of age.
9. The envisaged amendments to the legal framework are based on the principles of protecting minors, prevention and ensuring the consistency of Lithuania’s alcohol control policy. It should be noted that Lithuania already applies strict measures to restrict the advertising, sale and availability of alcohol. The Lithuanian legal framework enshrines the principle of restricting products for children and adolescents whose design imitates alcoholic beverages and/or their packaging, i.e. from 1 November 2019, pursuant to Article 28(1) of the Law on Alcohol Control of the Republic of Lithuania, it is prohibited to manufacture and/or sell food products, toys and other goods in Lithuania that are intended for children and adolescents and whose design imitates alcoholic beverages or their packaging, such as so-called ‘children’s champagne’. This ban was introduced with a view to reducing the normalisation of alcohol consumption among minors, and therefore a similar approach to non-alcoholic beverages whose name, packaging or presentation is associated with alcoholic beverages would be consistent with the state’s overall objectives of reducing the normalisation of alcohol consumption in environments frequented by minors. The envisaged measure is considered limited in scope and proportionate as it would only apply to certain non-alcoholic products that imitate alcoholic beverages, without restricting their availability to adults. The regulation is also in accordance with the right of Member States to lay down public health protection measures.
9a. 9.a. Given that the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Alcohol Control already prohibits the production and/or sale of products that imitate alcoholic beverages or their containers intended for children and adolescents, the application of similar principles to non-alcoholic beverages with a name or presentation imitating alcoholic beverages would ensure the consistency and systematic nature of Lithuania’s alcohol control policy. Otherwise, a situation would persist in which access to some products that imitate alcohol by minors is restricted, whilst access to others is permitted, even though their impact on shaping the social acceptability of alcohol consumption may be similar. The scientific literature highlights the need for long-term studies to establish whether there is evidence of a causal link between the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages and the subsequent consumption of alcoholic beverages, however, several studies show that there are links between the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages and a greater interest in alcoholic beverages; for example, one study revealed that schoolchildren who had experience of consuming non-alcoholic beverages showed greater interest in or motivation to consume alcoholic beverages than those who did not ([Effect of Non-alcoholic Beverage Intake in Children on Alcoholic Beverage Drinking and Smoking] – PubMed); another study showed that young people are more likely to perceive the non-alcoholic beverages in question as atypical alcoholic beverages rather than as ordinary refreshments (https://movendi.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1-s2.0-S0955395925000520-main.pdf). The 2023 World Health Organisation review, which assesses public health perspectives relating to non-alcoholic beverages or beverages with low ethyl alcohol content, indicates that, despite some studies indicating a positive effect on public health, there are also studies suggesting that the products considered may normalise drinking culture and accustom people to the taste of alcoholic beverages, particularly amongst young people (https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/a75a35b1-d8eb-4317-ad05-c4e2a741caff/content).
Discussions and reactions from members of the public continue to emerge in the Lithuanian public space regarding the fact that minors can freely purchase non-alcoholic beverages whose packaging, name and/or presentation resemble those of alcoholic beverages (https://www.15min.lt/verslas/naujiena/finansai/lietuvoje-draudziant-vaikiska-sampana-alkoholio-pakaitalu-vaikai-gali-isigyti-laisvai-662-2163590?utm_source=chatgpt.com; https://www.jonavoszinios.lt/naujiena/jonavietis-sutriko-ar-tikrai-galima-vaikams-parduoti-nealkoholini-sampana-vyna-alu). It should be noted that, even in the absence of a legal ban, some responsible business practices in Lithuania are based on the principle of self-regulation and do not provide opportunities for the purchase of such beverages by minors (https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/lietuvoje/2/2078630/pastebimas-nepilnameciu-susidomejimas-nealkoholiniu-alumi-ar-taip-vaikai-pratinami-prie-alkoholio-skonio?srsltid=AfmBOoqjbpZPWK4Tuy1_v5Lb36KhrpkjFFLYDJsVb4LB4oLSnTdmhnCp). Restrictions on the sale of non-alcoholic beverages to minors are supported by the academic community and toxicologists (https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/sveikata/682/2507939/nealkoholiniai-gerimai-populiareja-gali-buti-pavojingi-kovojantiems-su-priklausomybe?srsltid=AfmBOopWqA9CnX8hVnL7tsAZULUru64MJgskrfyj9lhKjtYO5tBkMWES; https://zagaresvysniukas.lt/straipsnius/nealkoholiniai-gerimai-nestumo-metu/). These reports show that part of the public is concerned about the current situation with regard to the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages in environments frequented by minors. It should also be noted that legislative practice contains more than one example where access to products by minors is restricted not because of their direct harm to health, but in order to shape certain societal norms. In addition to the above-mentioned ban on the production and sale of products intended for children whose design or presentation imitates alcoholic beverages, the sale of energy drinks to minors is also restricted in Lithuania.
9b. 9.b. The envisaged measure has a limited impact on the internal market, as it does not restrict the manufacture, import or placing on the market of such products, but merely imposes a restriction on their sale to minors. The measure applies equally to all products on the market, regardless of their origin, so the impact on cross-border trade is minimal. Measures such as self-regulation, labelling or information do not ensure a uniform and binding level of protection. The chosen measure is considered to be the least restrictive and capable of effectively achieving the objective of protecting minors and preventing the normalisation of alcohol consumption.
9c. 9.c. The proposed restriction is proportionate to the objective pursued. It applies only to a narrow product category, namely non-alcoholic beverages whose names include the designation of a group, sub-group and/or category of alcoholic beverages established by an authority authorised by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in accordance with the Law on Alcohol Control of the Republic of Lithuania or directly applicable European Union legislation, and therefore does not create unjustified obstacles to the internal market or a disproportionate administrative burden for economic operators.
The proposed regulation does not provide for the ban or restriction of these beverages for adults. Age verification in sales outlets is a common and already established practice when selling alcohol, energy drinks, tobacco products or other age-restricted products. The proposed regulation is limited in scope, as it would apply only to those non-alcoholic beverages whose names explicitly include the names of types of alcoholic beverages (for example, beer, wine, etc.). That regulatory scope makes it possible to distinguish between ordinary refreshments and products which, by their name and presentation, are directly linked to alcoholic beverages, thus the measure cannot be regarded as an excessive or disproportionate restriction of the market.
In addition, it should be noted that, in accordance with Article 168(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the European Union is committed to ensuring a high level of protection of human health in all policy areas. This paragraph also states that the Union’s actions shall complement the policies of the Member States. Article 168(7) makes it clear that responsibility for the definition of health policy and the organisation of health systems lies with the Member States. Member States may choose the measures which they consider appropriate to ensure the protection of public health at national level.
10. References to main texts:
11. No
12.
13. No
14. No
15. No
16.
TBT aspects:
The draft is a technical regulation or a conformity assessment
SPS aspects: No
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European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
