Beer. Credit rawpixel on Unsplash

European craft brewing associations Independent Brewers of Ireland, The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), Syndicat National des BrasseursIndépendants (SNBI), Unionbirrai, Scanian Beverage Producers, Det Fri Øl, and Craft Brewers Netherlands have formed the Independent Brewers of Europe (IBE).

The IBE will represent craft brewing associations from various parts of Europe, including France, Italy, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. These bodies each represent small, independent craft brewers from their respective regions.

The Czech-Moravian Microbreweries Association and La Asociacion Española de Cerveceras Artesanas Independientes (AECAI) are also part of the IBE.

“We’re very pleased to see progress in establishing a much-needed voice for independent brewing organisations across Europe.”

With around 2,000 member breweries, IBE expects to represent the growing proportion of Europe’s brewers that are engaged in the production of local artisan beers.

SIBA’s CEO Mike Benner said: “We’re very pleased to see progress in establishing a much-needed voice for independent brewing organisations across Europe.

“The craft beer revolution has spread across the continent and with more than 5,000 breweries the sector is well-placed to supply the diverse range of high-quality beers demanded by today’s discerning drinkers.

“We know that beer drinkers in the UK care about the provenance of beers and it’s clear that the same applies across Europe.”

IBE aims to become a key point of contact for European institutions and field representatives that voice their concerns on issues relating to regulation, taxation and access to the market.