Private distilleries to receive licenses again
Published: Monday, Feb 26th 2024, 17:00
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Small producers of distilled water are to be granted a license for their home distilleries again in order to preserve tradition in Switzerland. After the National Council, the Council of States also voted in favor of this on Monday by 42 votes to 0 with two abstentions.
The motion submitted to the National Council by current member of the Council of States Fabio Regazzi (center/TI) demands that the Federal Council create the basis in the Alcohol Act so that small producers can also obtain a license again. In addition, licenses that were revoked or temporarily extended at the end of 2020 should regain their validity.
With the revision of the Alcohol Act in 2015, the possibility of home distilleries for private individuals was legally abolished, as they do not fall under the definition of a farmer, as motionary Regazzi explained.
Anyone who distils as a hobby is excluded from this. Withdrawing the licenses would destroy a centuries-old tradition. The producers make an important contribution to the preservation of a rural cultural heritage that is important both from a cultural-historical and landscape perspective.
Distilleries under competitive pressure
This was also the view of the responsible committee of the Council of States. In addition, granting a license would strengthen the production of local specialities. The committee also considered it appropriate to lower the administrative obstacles, not least because small distilleries are under pressure due to competition from imported spirits.
According to the motion text, there are currently around 10,000 private individuals in Italian-speaking Switzerland who produce distilled water. 500 of them have a license. There are also private distilleries in Valais, Bern and the Basel region.
The Federal Council had requested a no to the motion. With the rejection of the liberalization of the alcohol market in 2015, the obligation that anyone wishing to distil alcohol must have a licence remained in place, he argued. Anyone who no longer had a distillation license had to go to one of the three contract distilleries or one of the 63 cooperatives in Ticino to sell their yield. This system had proved its worth, said Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter.
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