CEGROBB General Assembly took place on 16 October 2020

This GA, which was initially planned for the spring, was postponed to the autumn and was finally held as a video conference rather than a face-to-face meeting.

A large part of the meeting was devoted to the Covid crisis in the different countries: the impact on sales, the support measures that exist and the difficulties faced by our sector. From one country to another, the impact on volumes is similar. The support measures developed by the different governments are also in line.

The General Assembly was also the occasion to present the new logo of CEGROBB, as well as the new website. The new logo gives CEGROBB a younger and more dynamic image. The website will be regularly updated with recent news from the different countries.

A second important topic was the EU evaluation of Vertical Agreements. The status of the evaluation process that the European Commission is currently conducting in the context of the drinks supply agreements was commented on at length.

The German federation presented the evolution of reusable versus disposable bottles in its country. It shows that the share of disposable bottles has continued to increase to 57.2%, while the share of refillable bottles has continued to decrease to 41.2%. From an ecological point of view, we must continue to make efforts to promote refillable bottles. The beverage distributor sector is already a champion in the sale of refillable bottles, and we are thus distinguishing ourselves from other distribution channels.

Switzerland gave an interesting presentation on “Digital Drink”. This is an IT platform used by both beverage producers and beverage distributors. This platform allows the exchange of product information, the communication of promotions, the sending of orders and the transmission of reports and turnover. This platform saves a lot of time for both distributors and producers. With a click of the mouse, files are uploaded in both directions and you always have the right information. We will certainly follow this application closely.

Such exchanges of experiences and projects are very rich in learning and are a source of inspiration to become better and better.