The Brewers of Europe offices are a one hundred year-old heritage townhouse a stone’s throw away from the European Parliament. As well as being the hub for our work driving forward a sustainable future for brewing, it’s a good spot to host a party! Which is what we did this week when we held the 11th edition of Beer Serves Europe, our annual celebration bringing together 200 leaders from Europe’s brewing community and decision-makers from EU institutions.
It was personally important for me: it was my first time hosting Beer Serves Europe since starting my new job in August. But also importantly, it was our first event since Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission team took office last Sunday.
This was not just a party. It was also a serious opportunity to debate the issues that really matter for the brewing sector. We were delighted to welcome a distinguished panel to discuss what beer means for Europe – and how Europe can help brewing and the whole chain from grain to glass.
The discussions included Giulia del Brenna, the European Commission’s Head of Food, Retail and Health in DG GROW, who was emphatic about the importance of beer. “The brewing sector is a symbol of what the European Union is: united in diversity,” she said.
We had Belgian Brewers CEO Krishan Maudgal, who said, “We need to push back on the demonisation of alcohol, in particular beer,” and we had EUROMALT Secretary General Gianluca Nurra, who underlined the value of his sector, recalling that European malt is used to brew one-third of beers worldwide.
And we were thrilled that among the MEPs and other senior policymakers who came, we had MEP Tomáš Zdechovský (EPP-Czechia) and MEP Hannes Heide (S&D-Austria) who have just been confirmed as the co-chairs of the relaunched European Beer Group.
Tomáš was enthusiastic about his new role, saying that Europe should celebrate brewing by declaring October as a month dedicated to beer. And Hannes said that, as well as supporting communities and the economy, brewing is about culture and democracy: political debates are always better when they take place over a friendly beer.
All this was music to my ears. After all, with the new European Commission – and the new European Parliament – we have an opportunity to really strengthen our cooperation and to work together on issues like sustainability, responsible drinking and innovation.
The fact is that we face challenges in our sector. The event was also the moment for us to release the 2024 edition of the European Beer Trends Report, our annual snapshot of production, consumption and trade patterns.
The figures show that our sector is still struggling to recover from the Covid pandemic and its aftermath. Last year the beer market was down 3% and only just above the Covid years when bars, restaurants and events were shut down for weeks on end. Many of the gains brewers, maltsters and the horeca had made in starting recovery from the pandemic were lost again thanks to new factors like high inflation, increased production costs, and rising prices for raw materials, energy and logistics.
However, I know that we can recover. Yes, we face challenges—climate change, shifting consumer expectations, economic uncertainty—but we also have incredible strengths. And the energy, enthusiasm and support I saw at Beer Serves Europe shows that beer has a bright future if given the right policy framework.
As I told the guests before the Hungarian beer and dinner were served, their presence was a testament to the strength of our community and our shared commitment to the future of brewing. And every challenge we face is also an opportunity—an opportunity to innovate, to collaborate, and to make a positive impact on the world around us.
Cheers!
Julia Leferman
Secretary General
Julia.leferman@brewersofeurope.eu
ABOUT THE BREWERS OF EUROPE:
Based in Brussels, The Brewers of Europe brings together national brewers’ associations and companies from 28 European countries to support the united interests of Europe’s 10,000+ breweries. Our vision is to ensure a competitive, responsible and sustainable European brewing sector, creating shared value across the entire value chain and enriching European culture.