Traditional Bakers and Confectioners European Evening Held at the European Parliament

The European Confederation of National Bakery and Confectionary Organizations (CEBP) held its traditional Bakers and Confectioners European Evening at the European Parliament in Brussels, June 20.

The event offered the European bakery and confectionery professionals from different EU countries the opportunity to present their artisan products to the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

The host of the celebration was the German MEP Renate Sommer, who highlighted the importance of the micro, small, and medium-sized European food industries and summarized the efforts that are made in collaboration with the CEBP to avoid that EU regulations become an obstacle for the survival of these companies.

CEBP president, Christian Vabret, explained why it is necessary to defend the artisanal bakery and confectionery: they are the guarantors of the EU’s cultural heritage, their products provide a low carbon footprint,  they contribute to reducing the depopulation of rural areas, help preserve diversity, and they are promoters of youth employment.

He also presented the points that make this sector different from most food operators: they are local, artists, sustainable, they offer the opportunity to work in two authentically artisan professions, they maintain the tradition but, at the same time, constantly innovate.

The CEBP groups National Associations of Bakers and Confectioners of Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. It represents the artisan bakery and bakery of the EU, grouping 190,000 micro, small and medium enterprises, which employ more than two million workers. In 2018 the CEBP, which has its executive headquarters in Madrid, celebrates its 40th anniversary.