ETRC members endorse Duty Free World Council Code of Conduct on alcohol sales

Frank O’Connell: “The DFWC Code is now the only code of conduct for the sale of alcohol in the duty free and travel retail industry globally, providing a unique standard for the promotion of responsible retailing”

EUROPE. ETRC has said that all members active in the manufacturing or retailing of alcohol have confirmed their commitment to the Duty Free World Council (DFWC) Self-Regulatory Code of Conduct for the Sale of Alcohol in Duty Free and Travel Retail.

This follows the decision at the June 2017 AGM to replace the former ETRC Alcohol Code of Conduct with the DFWC Code, developed in cooperation with its regional associations. In addition, ETRC said it is engaging with its national and regional associations to “spread the spirit and values of the DFWC code” across Europe and to promote its adoption.

ETRC said it was confident that members “will take a proactive and responsible approach in their endeavours to comply with the provisions of the DFWC Code”.

It noted: “The alcohol category is under increasing scrutiny by regulators in Europe, with calls for textual and pictorial health warnings, structural separation in shops and restrictions on sales to name a few. The DFWC Code of Conduct is designed to respond to those challenges and to complement any existing codes and guidelines being followed by individual alcohol manufacturing companies and other bodies.”

“We strongly believe that the DFWC Code will be a valuable tool when defending any future challenges to the industry both regionally and globally and will help demonstrate the unique nature of duty free and travel retail. It will also show that efficient self-regulatory rules are already in place in our retail channel, hence the importance of strict compliance by the industry,” said TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen, who is Vice President Brands of ETRC and Vice President of DFWC.

DFWC President Frank O’Connell said: “The DFWC Code is now the only code of conduct for the sale of alcohol in the duty free and travel retail industry globally, providing a unique standard for the promotion of responsible retailing and demanding the highest degree of responsibility and ethics from both retailers and suppliers operating in this channel. In addition, DFWC is currently in discussion with the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association with a view to adapting their Responsible Training Programme for use by a global audience and providing additional support for the implementation of the Code within our industry.”

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