In a significant turn of events, Finland's Social and Health Committee opted to disclose previously classified documents that reveal new information about the European Commission's positions regarding the alcohol percentage limits for beverages ordered from abroad. This decision was communicated by opposition groups on Thursday evening, who believe that the newly exposed information could drastically influence the progression of Finland's remote sales law for alcohol.

The documents indicate that the European Commission does not view Finland as breaching EU law if it imposes a percentage limit on alcohol products ordered internationally, aligning the limit with what is permissible in retail sales, namely a threshold of 5.5 or 8 percent. This perspective sharply contrasts with previous public opinions, which suggested that such restrictions would violate EU regulations concerning the free movement of goods. Notably, Professor Juha Raitio of the University of Helsinki has expressed that implementing an 8 percent limit on alcohol ordered from abroad would indeed constitute a clear infringement of EU laws.

The documents in question date from 2021-2022 and highlight ongoing discussions between Finland and EU authorities over its alcohol regulations. The revelations could potentially reshape the legislative landscape concerning Finland's alcohol sales, particularly in terms of balancing domestic laws with compliance to EU regulations. As such, stakeholders in the Finnish alcohol market, along with legal experts, will closely monitor the implications of this development as it may lead to changes in consumer access to foreign alcoholic products and the overarching framework for the country's alcohol trade.