Brussels, 16 September 2016 - As part of the second Global Beer Responsibility Day, The Brewers of Europe, the home of over 6,500 brewers in Europe, has launched a new digital campaign to support responsible beer consumption – #BeerWisdom www.beerwisdom.eu and released the latest reporting on the roll-out of the European Beer Pledge.

The reporting shows how Europe’s brewers are fulfilling their commitment to partner with governments and civil society across the region and use events, media campaigns, server training and digital tools in initiatives to promote responsible consumption. In addition the sector continues to provide consumers with the facts they need to make more informed drinking choices. As in previous years, the reporting is now undergoing a thorough assurance process carried out by KPMG Sustainability.

“Whilst all brewers want people to enjoy their brew, alcohol misuse is in no one’s interest. All in the brewing sector take their responsibility to help increase consumer knowledge, support responsible consumption and address alcohol-related harm seriously. We are determined to pursue these important efforts into the future and look forward to working with EU decision-makers, stakeholders, and our partners, explained Pierre-Olivier Bergeron, Secretary-General of the Brewers of Europe.

Global Beer Responsibility Day was initiated in 2015. This year’s edition builds on the momentum gained in year one, bringing together partners in 76 countries around the world.
“Whilst our work with NGOs and government partners goes on all year round, Global Beer Responsibility Day provides brewers across the world with an opportunity to rally their joint efforts, assessing and building upon the significant progress we are making in supporting responsible beer consumption and the fight against alcohol misuse,” said Simon Spillane, Chair of the Worldwide Brewing Alliance.

Working persistently with partners to support responsible consumption

The data released today contains details of initiatives that have been rolled out in partnership with governments, doctors’ groups, road safety authorities, parents, educators, the police, non-governmental organisations and consumer groups throughout Europe. There is increasing evidence that the range of actions from “Sport is the better way for children to grow up” campaigns to those promoting non-alcoholic beer as a positive alternative for drivers have played their part in decreasing trends in alcohol misuse.

• Weekly beer drinking among 15-year-olds in the EU decreased by 45% for boys and by 52% for girls from 2008 to 2016 according to the WHO Europe coordinated study on Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC study), while drunkenness is down 27%.
• Our partners in tackling drink driving, the The European Transport Safety Council report there were 20,580 fewer road deaths in the EU in 2011-2015 (than if the number had remained constant after 2010).
• In statistics monitored by the Deutschen Brauer-Bund, downward trends in Germany continue: per capita alcohol consumption has decreased from 11.1 litres pure alcohol in 1995 to 9.5 litres in 2014 and the percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds consuming alcohol at least once a week has dropped from 17.9% in 2001 to only 11.8% percent in 2014. Meanwhile the percentage of accidents related to alcohol has more than halved since 1995 to around 1.5% in 2013 and that in cases of violent crime under the influence of alcohol from 32.1% in 2012 to 30.6% in 2013.

More information outside about what’s inside

In March 2015, The Brewers of Europe committed to voluntarily going beyond current EU legislative requirements and progressively roll out ingredient listing and nutrition information for beers sold on the European beer market. Concretely this means that over 50% of beers sold on the EU market will carry ingredients and nutrition information by end 2017. Meanwhile, brewers are pursuing efforts both online and offline towards further increasing consumer knowledge of beer.

A key pillar of our pledge: responsible advertising

The Beer Pledge integrated from the outset standards to guarantee responsible marketing and advertising. These help brewers and brewers’ associations to ensure that self-regulatory mechanisms remain current as digital and social media play an increasingly significant role. The Brewers of Europe are also an associated partner of the Responsible Marketing Pact, to be launched later in 2016 by the World Federation of Advertisers.

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Notes for editors

Global Beer Responsibility Day is an annual industry-wide initiative that brings together brewing companies, big and small, and beer associations, to highlight and reinforce the responsibility efforts conducted and supported by brewers in partnership with wholesalers, retailers, government and law enforcement officials, NGOs and others. Established in 2015 on the initiative of Anheuser-Busch InBev, Carlsberg and HEINEKEN, Global Beer Responsibility Day is an occasion for brewers, together with many local partners and stakeholders, to launch and showcase a variety of both new and ongoing programs aimed at reducing the harmful use of alcohol, including drink driving and underage drinking. The initiatives include server and seller training, ID-checking programs and consumer education efforts, among others.

About the Brewers of Europe

Based in Brussels, The Brewers of Europe brings together national brewers’ associations from 29 European countries and provides a voice to support the united interests of Europe’s 6500+ breweries. The Brewers of Europe promotes the positive role played by beer and the brewing sector in Europe and advocates the creation of the right conditions to allow brewers to continue to freely, cost-effectively and responsibly brew and market beer across Europe.

Contact details

Jan de Grave, Communications Director, The Brewers of Europe
+32 (0)2 551 1810; jdg@brewersofeurope.org