Press releases

A SPIRIT OF RESILIENCE, RECOVERY & GROWTH

spiritsEUROPE, the trade association proudly representing the European spirits sector, yesterday hosted its annual Spirits Summit – entirely virtually for the 1st time. 

Among others, the summit heard from:

• David O’Sullivan, former EU Ambassador to the United States, who emphasised that the EU has a small window to reset transatlantic relations with the United States;
• Ignacio Garcia Bercero, Director at DG Trade, who argued that the EU cannot afford to become insular and needs to pursue its offensive trade interests;  
• Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, MEP, who said that, amidst an international environment of trade tensions, the EU remains committed to multilateral solutions; and
• Claire Bury, Deputy Director General at DG Sante, who underlined that digital labelling could help consumers make more sustainable choices and reduce their environmental footprint. 

Commenting on the event, spiritsEUROPE Director General Ulrich Adam said:

The Spirits Summit is a favourite fixture in the Brussels winter calendar. Although we all missed the opportunity to gather this year in good company and good cheer over a cocktail, we were delighted to have an excellent audience, not to mention superb speakers and a challenging agenda. 

Across two panels – focused on what’s next for EU Trade Policy and the importance of digital innovation for a sustainable post-COVID recovery – we heard from leading experts and were left with fresh insights. 

The Covid crisis has taught us a lot about our own sector, and we recognize that the priorities of our consumers will adapt post-pandemic. We are determined to make it more sustainable and more technologically advanced to respond to recent trends. 

A summary of the proceedings has been posted on Twitter using the hashtag #SpiritsSummit and a full recording of all sessions can be found here. 

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For further information or for interview opportunities, please contact:

Ulrich Adam, Director General - Tel: + 32 (2) 477636751 - adam@spirits.eu

NOTE TO EDITORS:

• spiritsEUROPE proudly represents one of Europe’s most valuable agri-food export sectors and, with it, the interests of 29 associations of spirits producers as well as 10 leading multinational companies.
• Our proposals for boosting European economic recovery can be found here