Brewers of Europe delegation meets European Health Commissioner

Top of the agenda for discussion were issues ranging from how The Brewers of Europe are actively tackling alcohol misuse, including as a leader in the EU’s Alcohol and Health Forum, to why targeted policies should be preferred over further population-wide actions, the effectiveness of self-regulation, and the European brewing sector’s commitment to doing more and better.

On the issue of the EU Alcohol and Health Forum, the President of The Brewers of Europe stated to the EU Health Commissioner that, “we joined the Forum in order to further help serve the cause against alcohol misuse, a common enemy to us all. We are the number 1 contributor to the forum, with our 42 commitments making up well over a third of the total. Our largest commitment relates to advertising self-regulation and is based on implementing the best practice conclusions that came out of DG SANCO’s own advertising roundtable in 2006. Our message is clear: self-regulation works and one only has to look at the guarantees and systems being put in place across the EU, to ensure that it is properly enforced, for evidence of this. Responsible beer marketing forms part of our members’ sustainable beer business and brewers are 100% committed to ensuring that we abide by this approach – plain and simple.”

The delegation also sought to convey the message that a balanced approach was needed when examining how the EU would be addressing the issue of alcohol related harm under the Swedish Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2010. Europe’s brewers called upon Commissioner Vassiliou to support the brewers’ efforts and to ensure the EU’s strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol-related harm remained just that, a strategy against alcohol-related harm, with all partners around the table and partnerships on the ground targeted at reducing alcohol misuse and the causes thereof.

The meeting concluded with a small presentation from the Brewers of Europe delegation to Commissioner Vassilou of a frame visually outlining the various partners engaged by The Brewers of Europe sand its national members so far in the commitments to the Forum.

The delegation that met the European Commissioner for Health comprised the following individuals:

Alberto da Ponte, President, The Brewers of Europe - CEO, Central de Cervejas, Portugal;

Jean-François van Boxmeer, Member of the Board, The Brewers of Europe - CEO, Heineken NV;

Rodolphe de Looz-Corswarem, Secretary General, The Brewers of Europe;

Rutger Goethart, Chairman of the Beer Image Taskforce, The Brewers of Europe – Head of Public Affairs, Heineken NV;

Simon Spillane, Senior Advisor – Beer & Society, The Brewers of Europe.