MEDIA CENTRE

Brussels – 4 May 2010 – Beer and the Mediterranean experience topped the issues discussed today at a special seminar looking into what exactly makes beer consumption in the Mediterranean basin so unique.  The seminar entitled ‘Working for responsible consumption patterns: Beer and the Mediterranean experience,’ was organised by Cerveceros de España (The Brewers of Spain) in collaboration with The Brewers of Europe.

Coinciding with the Spanish Presidency of the EU, the aim of the seminar was about recognising consumption trends in Southern Europe which have historically been linked to Mediterranean cultures and diet, as well as showcasing the initiatives taken by brewers and local partners in matters of prevention of irresponsible consumption, education and social responsibility.

Opening the seminar, the President of The Brewers of Europe Alberto da Ponte stressed that Europe’s brewers “are part of the solution when it comes to actively tackling irresponsible consumption of alcoholic products such as beer.”  He went on to say that “during the past 5 years Europe’s almost 4,000 brewers have supported and funded over 300 responsibility initiatives.  The success of our initiatives lies in the fact that we work on alliances and synergies developed with a plethora of locally-based third party stakeholders.  Our partners have included; local authorities, doctors’ groups, road safety authorities, NGOs and consumer organisations.”

Spain was just one of the southern European countries cited in the various speeches and presentations this afternoon as a country which could be held up as an example in terms of how the local partnership approach, diet and culture can have positive consequences when it comes to ensuring moderate and indeed responsible beer consumption.  Speakers from Spain, Italy and Portugal included general practitioners, gynaecologists, university health professors, representatives of consumer organisations, Permanent Representation agricultural attachés and national transport representatives – all of which spoke to varying degrees of the success of the local partnership approach.

Thanking all those present for being there, Jacobo Olalla Marañón, Director-General of Cerveceros de España outlined that “the joint collaboration of all agents involved, the local approach, and joined-up prevention efforts are key ingredients for success when tackling inappropriate consumption.”  Beer, he said, “is usually consumed along with food, in social environments, within the frame of the Mediterranean culture and in a responsible manner.”  Also highlighted by Mr Olalla Marañón was the success that non-alcoholic beer has had in Spain, i.e. 15% of the market – “a clear example that the alcohol content is not what Spanish consumers are looking for when it comes to purchasing a refreshing drink,” he said.

Also headlining the seminar this afternoon were representatives of both the Italian and Portuguese brewing federations who spoke about consumption and prevention patterns in each of those countries and the similarities with Spain.

Summing up, the president of The Brewers of Europe stressed that varying from country to country, that the reputation of beer and the role played by brewers is as diverse as it is similar.  But, he said, “we have a role to play and we’re going to continue playing a responsible role through partnership and commitments to action.”

ENDS

For further comment and information please contact:

Note to the editors

The Brewers of Europe, founded in 1958 and based in Brussels, is the voice of the European brewing sector towards the European institutions and international organisations. It has 27 members, comprising 24 national brewer associations from most EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. Among the roughly 4,000 brewers across Europe, the vast majority are small and medium-sized, local and family-run businesses. 2.5 million jobs are directly or indirectly linked to the European brewing sector.

Cerveceros de España is the entity that since 1922 represents the brewers in Spain. This association currently consists of the following business groups which represent the totality of beer production in Spain: Mahou-San Miguel, Heineken España, Grupo Damm, Estrella de Levante, Grupo Alhambra Alimentaria, Hijos de Rivera, Compañía Cervecera de Canarias and La Zaragozana.