As we kick off the new EU mandate, our monthly Newsletter will be your monthly companion to show you some of the priority issues we’re working on. To start with, let me very briefly outline what we’re doing on the following three: the promotion of open and rules-based international trade, strengthening our contributions to promote responsible drinking and a culture of moderation in Europe, and the continuous development and rollout of digital consumer information technologies on spirit drinks.
On July 15, we joined 30 leading European business organizations in signing a Joint Declaration urging the EU to maintain an open and ambitious trade policy (see separate piece below). With one in five EU jobs tied to exports, trade is crucial for economic growth. We are pushing for new free trade agreements, the appointment of a dedicated Trade Commissioner, and support for the WTO to ensure a fair, rules-based international trading environment.
Working to help reduce harmful drinking remains a top priority. While Europe has seen a number of positive trends in harm reduction in recent years, continued and cooperative efforts are needed to tackle issues such binge drinking and underage consumption further. Across Europe, our members are committed to fostering a culture of responsible drinking through innovative partnership approaches that promote informed choices and healthier lifestyles (see, for instance, the article below on the latest initiative of our Greek member). At the same time, to meet increased consumer demand for low and non-alcoholic beverages, many of our members are investing in innovation to create products that offer the same quality, flavour, and craftsmanship that consumers expect from traditional spirits, but with lower or no alcohol content. This includes developing new recipes, experimenting with natural ingredients, and using advanced techniques to deliver satisfying alternatives without compromising on taste. This trend combined with a premiumisation of our products are structurally supporting global trend towards moderation.
In order to meet growing consumer demand for reliable, trustworthy, detailed product information, we are speeding up the rollout of digital labels on spirit drinks across Europe, accessible via QR codes in line with our multiannual commitments. The digital information ecosystem offered by such solutions provides a reliable, marketing-free multilingual space where meaningful product and product-related guidance can be spelled out in more detail (in areas such as nutrition, health, sustainability). It’s something we’re proud to have pioneered together with our fiends from the wine sector five years ago. We are now seeing it work in the marketplace and hope the EU can agree on some meaningful binding rules (as they have done in the case of wine already) in the next five years.
We look forward to discussing these and other issues with you over the next five years – may the next term be filled by vivid, convivial and constructive policy debate!
Ulrich Adam, Director General*
*In his capacity as permanent representative of SPRL ADLOR Consulting
