Romanian Parliament approves sale of beer on stadiums, wine in VIP areas

Romania’s Chamber of Deputies approved on Tuesday, June 30, a bill allowing for the sale of beer and even wine in stadiums during competitions and public gatherings.

The bill, which was debated and adopted by the upper house in November before reaching the decision-making lower chamber, specifically allows “the sale, distribution or consumption of non-alcoholic beverages and low-alcohol beverages, with an alcohol concentration of up to 5% by volume, only in paper or plastic cups without lids, in sports arenas.”

In addition to beer, wine may also be consumed in VIP areas of stadiums.

However, according to the law, spectators are prohibited from “entering while visibly drunk or becoming intoxicated as a result of consuming beverages of up to 5% alcohol during the sporting event, or from bringing or attempting to bring beverages into the sports arena,” HotNews pointed out.

The project was mainly initiated by deputies from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and far-right representatives from the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and United for Romania parliamentary groups. However, it was also signed by parliamentarians from the National Liberal Party, or PNL, the minority Hungarian party UDMR, and the extremist SOS Romania party.

“In Romania, the current legislation is unjustifiably and counterproductively restrictive, but the experience of other European countries such as Germany, Italy, France or the United Kingdom shows that moderate, regulated consumption can contribute to a festive atmosphere, encouraging responsible behaviour among spectators,” the initiators said in the draft proposal.

Allowing the sale of beer in stadiums, they said, “directly contributes to avoiding cases of alcohol abuse through consumption before the sporting event” while also bringing economic benefits to organizers.

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