Dublin hosting beer consumer summit
The 50th meeting of the European Beer Consumers Union is being held in the screening room at Lillie’s Bordello and at The Central Hotel, drawing 30 delegates from 11 different European countries representing over 220,000 beer drinkers.
Beoir has organised the event, having campaigned on issues of drinkers’ rights in Ireland since 2010 and is the EBCU’s newest member having joined it in 2012.
The EBCU was founded in 1990 by the beer consumer groups of the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. It currently consists of 13 member organisations across Europe and delegates meet twice a year in different European cities. Its current Chairman is Henri Reuchlin of the Netherlands.
Among the topics to be discussed by the delegates is the European law surrounding beer labelling. Currently, brewers are exempt from the regulation which requires the full listing of ingredients on food and soft drinks. There’s also no requirement to state the place of production, resulting in a number of beers on the Irish and European market which are misleading to consumers in this regard.
The EBCU seeks a change to the current “lax laws” as part of the European Union’s general revision of food labelling rules.
“It’s essential that beer drinkers have all relevant information available to them when they choose which beer to drink,” said Beoir’s Chairman Reuben Gray ahead of the opening session, “I look forward to discussing this and other issues with our European colleagues as well as showing them the range and quality of Irish craft beer now available in Dublin’s pubs and restaurants.”
Delegates will visit two Dublin microbreweries, The Porterhouse
and JW Sweetman. Alfie Byrne’s pub and L Mulligan Grocer will also feature in the social programme for the weekend.
Beoir has organised the event, having campaigned on issues of drinkers’ rights in Ireland since 2010 and is the EBCU’s newest member having joined it in 2012.
