Valvira to review the need to update the guideline for retail sale of alcoholic beverages due to Supreme Administrative Court precedent

On 19 June 2024, the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) issued a precedent regarding a licence regulation imposed by the Regional State Administrative Agency. The regulation pertains to the cash register and sales arrangements in the retail sale of alcoholic beverages. According to the SAC, the Regional State Administrative Agency did not have legal grounds to impose the regulation in the case at hand.

The decision concerns a situation in which the holder of a retail sale licence for alcoholic beverages had used another company and its staff to assist in the sale of alcoholic beverages. 

The supervisory authority’s regulation required that, to ensure proper supervision, only the licence holder or their staff could hand over alcoholic beverages to customers during a sales transaction. According to the regulation, only the licence holder or an entity legally authorised to process payments could accept payments for alcoholic beverages. 

The issuance of the licence regulation was based on Valvira’s guidelines for the retail sale of alcohol. Valvira will review the Supreme Administrative Court’s decision and adjust its guidelines as necessary.

Further information:

Kari Kunnas, Head of Unit, +358 295 209 610

Supreme Administrative Court press release (in Finnish).
Supreme Administrative Court precedent KHO:2024:90 (in Finnish).
Valvira’s guideline for the retail sale of alcoholic beverage (pdf, in Finnish).