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Taxation and Customs Union

Excise Duty on Alcohol

EU legislation on excise duties on alcohol covers:

Alcohol and alcoholic beverages are also subject to the common provisions for excise goods under EU law.

Excise duties on alcoholic beverages

Excise duties on alcohol are regulated through two main pieces of EU legislation.

i) The Directive 92/83/EEC on excise on duties sets out:

  • The structures of excise duties on alcohol and alcoholic beverages
  • The categories of alcohol and alcoholic beverages subject to excise duty
  • The basis on which the excise duty is calculated

It also includes special provisions such as reduced rates for small breweries and small distilleries, certain products and geographical regions.

On 29 July 2020, the Council a series of new rules (Council Directive 2020/1151) amending Directive 92/83/EEC on the harmonization of the structures of excise duties on alcohol and alcoholic beverages, which are applicable since 1 January 2022.

ii) Directive 92/84/EEC sets out minimum rates that must applied to each category of alcoholic beverage as well as reduced rates for certain Greek, Italian and Portuguese regions.

EU legislation only sets harmonised minimum rates.

This means that EU countries are free to apply excise duty rates above these minima, according to their own national needs.

Excise products and minimum rates

Excise product Rate expressed per: Minimum rate:

Beer

Hectolitre per degree Plato
OR
Hectolitre per degree alcohol

EUR 0.748

EUR 1.87

Wine
(still and sparkling)

Hectolitre of product

EUR 0

Intermediate Products
(e.g. port, sherry)

Hectolitre of product

EUR 45

Spirits

Hectolitre of pure alcohol

EUR 550

This directive is under evaluation. The evaluation will examine if excise duty rates on alcohol and alcoholic beverages have contributed to the proper functioning of the EU single market.

Alcohol and alcoholic beverages are also subject to the common provisions for excise goods under EU law.

Independent small producers of alcoholic beverages

Traditional and locally produced products

  • Council Decision (EU) 2020/1791 of 16 November 2020 authorises France until 31 December 2027 to apply a reduced rate of certain indirect taxes on ‘traditional’ rum produced in Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Réunion.
  • Council Decision (EU) 2020/1790 of 16 November 2020 authorises Portugal until 31 December 2027 to apply a reduced rate of excise duty on certain alcoholic products produced in the autonomous regions of Madeira and of the Azores.

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