Ingredients and energy values should appear on all beer labels in the EU by 2022, The Brewers of Europe said.

The Brewers of Europe is an organisation that beings together national brewers’ associations from 29 European countries and provides a voice to support the united interests of Europe’s 9,500 plus breweries

According to the BOE, there will be a signing of a new ‘memorandum of understanding (MoU)’ with the European Commission in September to formalise the brewers’ commitment.

The MoU supported by brewers is open to companies and associations from all alcoholic beverage sectors, provided that the signatory fully endorses the MoU and its commitment to the on-pack labelling of both ingredients and energy values.

Pierre-Olivier Bergeron, secretary general of The Brewers of Europe said: “The Brewers of Europe’s members have set clear ambitions for the next steps towards ensuring all beers label ingredients and calories. I am delighted that EU Health Commissioner Andriukaitis will in September attend the official signing by our members of the MoU and our Ambition 2022.”

In the last four years brewers have been voluntarily rolling out ingredients and energy labelling in full accordance with Regulation (EU) 1169/2011(1).

As recently reported, 60% of beers are now labelling calories, whilst 85% already carry an ingredients list.

Commenting following the publication of the brewers’ latest labelling results, EU Health Commissioner Andriukaitis said: “I welcome brewers’ commitment to provide the full list of ingredients and the energy values per 100ml on the labels of all pre-pack beers.

“The EU Regulation sets the rules to follow and I’m delighted that brewers are fulfilling these high standards.  This is in the interest of public health and consumers information”. 

The idea of the MoU is that companies take public responsibility for the declaration of both ingredients and energy information on the labels of their products, whilst trade associations support these efforts including through setting local sectoral ambitions and collective reporting.

The ultimate objective is that consumers receive understandable, recognisable, comparable and accurate information for all alcoholic beverages.

Secretary general Bergeron added: “Consumers can only be empowered to take informed decisions if there is a level playing field of complete and comparable information on ingredients and energy values.

“The EU Regulation lays down the rules and standards. We invite the other alcoholic beverage sectors to follow our lead and sign up to the same memorandum of understanding on labelling ingredients and energy information”.