A complex body of technical regulation, most of it EU law, governs all aspects of the wine and spirit trade: including labelling, production practices and record keeping.  As well as advising members about compliance, the WSTA works extensively with policy makers at international and national levels to help ensure that new regulation and the enforcement of existing regulation is necessary and proportionate.

Key current issues include:

• The impact of Brexit on cross-border movements, tariffs and documentary requirements
• The new text of the Spirits Drinks Regulation, including definitions, sweetening, compound terms and allusions
• Duty rates and bands
• Ingredient, nutrition and energy labelling
• Origin labelling
• Licensing and age verification
• Authorised Economic Operator status
• “Making tax Digital”
• Customs and Excise simplification programme