The Europeanization of Swedish alcohol policy: the case of ECAS

Abstract

The recent changes in Swedish alcohol policy have mainly been described by researchers and politicians in terms of a Swedish implementation of EU rules. The European Comparative Alcohol Study (ECAS), however, shows the complexity of Europeanization and can function as an example of the possibilities for the reverse influence. The project was an initiative by the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and was presented as a comparative study that could serve as a basis for further discussions about common measures in European alcohol policy. The article analyses how ECAS has been perceived and used politically at national and EU levels. The results show that ECAS was the first attempt from Sweden and Finland to influence EU on the alcohol question, and the expressed political purpose mainly focused on the possibilities to work internationally. The article indicates that ECAS has been quite influential within the research community and within the public health frame. However, the impact within other frames has been more or less limited to the slow process of moulding public opinion.