On 30 June, we published our annual trade report “Made for trade: spirits success abroad” showing that after a small decrease in 2014, spirits bounced back in 2015 with export sales reaching over €10 billion. This positive performance makes a significant contribution to EU economies in creating investments in new distilleries, growth and jobs.
The report was launched at an event opened by H.E. Mr Eloy Cantú Segovia, Ambassador of Mexico and also involved Mauro Petriccione, Deputy Director General of DG Trade, Iana Dreyer, Founder and Editor of Borderlex and Ivan Menting, Communication Director of de Kuyper Royal Distillery in the Netherlands. Panellists addressed the impact of TPP on current EU trade negotiations, the latest actions taken by the Commission to move ahead with FTAs negotiations and ratifications, and the concrete experience of a spirit SME trading aboard.
The discussion highlighted the need for MEPs, the Commission and Member States to communicate and engage with citizens to highlight the tangible benefits of Free Trade Agreements for them. To conclude, spiritsEUROPE presented an advertising broadcast in Brussels that same week, precisely in support of external trade.
