View source for European Beer Consumers' Union

__NOTOC__
[[File:European Beer Consumers' Union logo.png|thumb|Organisation logo]]
The '''European Beer Consumers' Union''' ('''EBCU''') is a [[consumer organisation]] founded in 1990 in [[Bruges|Bruges, Belgium]], by three national [[beer]] organisations: [[Campaign for Real Ale|CAMRA]] ([[United Kingdom]]), Objectieve Bierproevers ([[Belgium]]) and PINT ([[Netherlands]]).

==History==
In 2003, Objectieve Bierproevers was replaced by Zythos.

In 2008, the member organisations signed up to a constitution which defined the formal aims and structure and the role of traditional beer as a "prime component of European culture, history and daily life".{{fact|date=June 2022}}

Beoir, an Irish [[consumer organisation]] setup in 2010 to promote Irish [[craft brewing]] and [[microbreweries]],<ref>{{cite book | last=Dredge | first=M. | title=Craft Beer World: A guide to over 350 of the finest beers known to man | publisher=Ryland Peters & Small | year=2014 | isbn=978-1-909313-37-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HKWsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT438 | access-date=17 June 2022 | page=438}}</ref> became the organisation's 13th member in 2012.<ref name="ebcu">{{citation|url=http://www.ebcu.org/index.php/news/93-ireland-joins-european-beer-consumers-union-ebcu|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629191011/http://www.ebcu.org/index.php/news/93-ireland-joins-european-beer-consumers-union-ebcu|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 June 2013|title=EBCU official press release: Ireland Joins the EBCU|publisher=European Beer Consumers' Union|date=9 Nov 2012|accessdate=2013-06-29}}</ref>

In 2012, Terry Lock, chairman since 1999, retired and Henri Reuchlin from the Netherlands was elected to replace him.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ebcu.org/index.php/news/94-dutchman-to-lead-european-beer-consumers |title=EBCU Press Release: Dutchman to lead European Beer Consumers |access-date=2013-06-29 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629191011/http://www.ebcu.org/index.php/news/94-dutchman-to-lead-european-beer-consumers |archive-date=2013-06-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bo Jensen from Denmark replaced Henri Reuchlin as chairman in 2018, serving until 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ebcu1/status/1061219986239295488|title=Bo Jensen has been elected as the new Chairman of EBCU.pic.twitter.com/xyFrvowlAq|last=EBCU|date=2018-11-10|website=@ebcu1|language=en|access-date=2020-02-02}}</ref> In 2022, André Brunnsberg of Finnish organisation Olutliitto was elected Chair.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ebcu.org/new-chairman-appointed-for-two-years/ |title=New chairman appointed for two years |publisher=EBCU |access-date=2023-03-18}}</ref>

==Members==
As of March 2023, the union's website listed 21 members from 17 European countries:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ebcu.org/member-groups/|title=EBCU member groups|last=|first=|date=|website=EBCU website|archive-url=|archive-date=|accessdate=10 October 2022}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Country
!Acronym
!Organisation Name
!Founded
|-
|{{ESP}}
|ACCE
|Asociación de Cerveceros Caseros Españoles
|2009
|-
|{{IRL}}
|
|Beoir
|2010
|-
|{{AUT}}
|BierIG
|BierIG Österreich
|2002
|-
|{{flag|Iceland}}
|
|Bjórmenningarfélag Íslands
|2021
|-
|{{POL}}
|
|Bractwo Piwne
|1995
|-
|{{GBR}}
|CAMRA
|[[Campaign for Real Ale]]
|1971
|-
|{{ESP}}
|CELCE
|Club Español de Coleccionismo Cervecero
|1987
|-
|{{DNK}}
|DBE
|{{ill|Danske Ølentusiaster|da}}
|1998
|-
|{{FRA}}
|FNABRA
|Fédération Nationale des Associations Brassicoles
|2002
|-
|{{GER}}
|GBCU
|German Beer Consumers Union
|2019
|-
|{{CHE}} and {{LIE}} 
|GFB
|Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Biervielfalt
|1991
|-
|{{ITA}}
|MoBI
|Movimento Birra
|2003
|-
|{{FIN}}
|
|Olutliitto
|1992
|-
|{{POL}}
|PSPD
|Polskie Stowarzyszenie Piwowarów Domowych
|2010
|-
|{{CZE}}
|SPP
|Sdružení přátel piva
|1990
|-
|{{SWE}}
|SÖ
|Svenska Ölfrämjandet
|1985
|-
|{{NLD}}
|PINT
|Vereniging Promotie Informatie Traditioneel Bier
|1980
|-
|{{NLD}}
|
|Beer Geeks
|
|-
|{{ITA}}
|
|Unionbirrai
|1999
|-
|{{BEL}}
|ZYTHOS
|Zythos
|2003
|-
|{{Nor}}
|
|Norbrygg
|1998
|}

==Aims==
The union campaigns on European level to:

*To preserve and maintain the diversity of the traditional European beer cultures, with particular regard to local, regional and national brewing and beer styles
*To protect the consumer from the imposition of unfair pricing by opposing unreasonable taxation or exploitative business practices
*To ensure that the consumer receives the best factual information about any beer on commercial sale.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ebcu.org/ Official Site]

[[Category:Beer organizations]]
[[Category:Consumer organisations in Belgium]]
[[Category:Pan-European food industry trade groups]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1990]]
[[Category:Lists of organizations based in Europe]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Europe]]