In 2001 the health ministers in the European Union (EU) adopted a Council of Ministers recommendation on the drinking of alcohol by young people. The present article discusses why and how it was adopted, as well as what the policy implications of this recommendation are for the member states. It illustrates how common action in the area of public health can be justified, as well as what role the various EU institutions play in this kind of decision-making process. It concludes that the political significance of this recommendation is determined to a large degree by how it will be followed up at the EU level.
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