Press releases

Europe’s spirits sector presents new holistic vision on sustainability

Brussels, 22 November 2022 – spiritsEUROPE launches a new review of the sector’s efforts to advance sustainability across the entire supply chain and unveils its re-vamped online Portal showcasing key sustainability initiatives across Europe.

The “Sustainable from #Farm2Glass” Brochure outlines the sector’s holistic approach to drive up sustainability across the entire value chain – upstream, downstream, at production sites and for the people working for and with the sector: for instance, by driving up renewable energy use and energy efficiency in distillation processes, by adopting best-in-class approaches to water management, or by supporting sustainable agricultural practices and protecting biodiversity around areas of production.

The Brochure features numerous case examples – all of which have been re-grouped on the re-vamped online portal www.drinksinitiatives.eu which showcases key sustainability initiatives across Europe.

Commenting on the launch of the Brochure and the re-vamped online Portal, Manu Giró, President of spiritsEUROPE, said:

“Sustainability has always been at the heart of what we do. Our holistic vision is clear: by further advancing sustainability in our sector and across the entire value chain, we want become an integral part of a truly sustainable European food system. COP27 is a good time to present to the public all the great work and progress that is being made on sustainability – so as to inspire us all and to strive for more.”

The Brochure also explains the links between the sector’s work and current EU policy initiatives on sustainability. Since the start, spiritsEUROPE has actively supported the development of European sustainability initiatives such as the European Commission’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Business and Marketing or the industry-driven Close the Glass Loop Action Platform – which has committed to increase glass collection rates for recycling across Europe to 90% by 2030.

Other key EU initiatives discussed in the Brochure include the Commission’s proposal on sustainability of Geographical Indications (GIs) and the upcoming proposal for a Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).  

Commenting on the roles and responsibilities of public and private actors in the quest for greater sustainability, Ulrich Adam, Director General of spiritsEUROPE, said:

“We strongly believe that a public-private partnership approach and a combination of both legislative and self-regulatory measures will provide the best way forward towards a more competitive and sustainable food system across Europe. EU policy has an important role to play by creating a clear and ambitious, yet also adapted and flexible framework that unleashes market forces to compete for the best sustainability solutions while maintaining a level playing-field among producers and safeguarding the integrity of the EU’s Single Market.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

For further information, please contact:

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

• spiritsEUROPE proudly represents the EU spirits sector, one of Europe’s most valuable agri-food export sectors and, with it, the interests of 31 associations of spirits producers as well as 11 leading multinational companies. More information can be found on our website.
• Click here to access  the 2022 sustainability brochure.

• Visit www.drinksinitiatives.eu to find out more about the concrete sustainability and environment initiatives driven by our members.
• The EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices is one of the first deliverables of the Farm to Fork Strategy and an integral part of its action plan. It sets out the actions that the actors ‘between the farm and the fork’, such as food processors, food service operators and retailers, can voluntarily commit to undertake to tangibly improve and communicate their sustainability performance.
• The “Close the glass loop” project aims to unite the glass packaging value chain under a multi-stakeholder European programme supported by national-level action plans. spiritsEUROPE companies and national association members will cooperate to boost glass packaging collection to 90% by 2030 and put more recycled glass back into the bottle-to-bottle glass packaging loop.