Europe’s soft drinks industry rooted in the European economy

€185
BILLION
value chain across the EU – equivalent to 1.24% of EU GDP

1.7
MILLION
jobs supported – with salary payments of €26.7 billion

€30
BILLION
in tax contributions to EU member states

Significant socio-economic footprint up and down the value chain

Raw material for packaging including wood pulp, metal, plastic and glass

Packaging used to store, contain and transport products

Creative services and promotion

Retail sales through the off-trade – supermarkets, corner shops

Agricultural raw ingredients such as fruit, berries and sugar beet, sourced from across the EU

Other soft drink ingredients including syrups, water, flavourings, sweeteners and juices

R&D related to innovation across products and services

Transport and distribution of products across the EU

Foodservice sales through the on-trade – HORECA – hotels, restaurants and cafes

Supporting employment across the continent

The European soft drinks industry sustains over 1.7 million jobs across its supply chain – 169,447 directly and 1,546,578 indirectly

Europeans whose jobs rely directly or indirectly on the soft drinks industry receive a total income in salaries of over €26.7 billion before income tax

Each worker directly employed by the soft drinks industry represents another 9 jobs supported in associated industries

Supports revenue generation across the value chain

2.5X
Generates a revenue for the industries in its value chain 2.5 times greater than it receives itself

€52
BILLION
of revenues directly generated in the EU

€132
BILLION
of revenue contributed indirectly throughout other sectors

Revenue from the soft industry represents a significant share of total revenues for some sectors

of total revenue in Foodservice/HORECA

of total revenue in Creative services sector

of total revenue in Packaging sector

Over €103 billion worth of soft drinks are consumed in the eu each year – €56 billion in the on trade (bars, cafes etc) and €48 billion in the off trade (shops, supermarkets etc).

delivering significant tax contributions to eu member states

In 2016 economic our activity delivered almost €30 billion in taxes for eu member states

INCOME TAX
as a result of salaries earned in the value chain

CORPORATION
TAX

paid by companies in the industry supply chain

IMPORT TAX & VAT
paid at point-of-sale

TOTAL
€29.8 billion:
€2.6 billion direct
€27.3 billion indirect

Tax contributions related to our value chain benefit governments and households across the EU

A Local industry – Sourcing, producing and employing people locally

Ingredients sourced from local farmers and producers.
Production sites located close to distribution and sales industry.
Employing local people and contributing to the local economy.

137,500
Arable farms

across the EU grow crops for the soft drinks industry.

The sector’s demand for agricultural produce supports farming and manufacturing across the EU – from sugar beet sourced from northern and eastern countries to fruit and berries from growers all over the continent.

In the EU there are:

424
SOFT DRINKS
PRODUCTION
SITES

154
PACKAGING
PRODUCTION
SITES

90
RAW MATERIAL
PRODUCTION SITES
SUPPORTED BY
THE SECTORS

PRODUCTION IS SITED CLOSE TO MARKETS – minimising transport and its environmental impact

Distribution accounts for just 0.3% OF ALL GOODS DISTRIBUTION IN THE EU with 6,800 vehicles

AN innovative sector investing in r&d

€70

MILLION

spent on research and development in the EU each year – the vast majority undertaken by soft drinks companies themselves.

560

RESEARCHERS

and scientists employed full-time in laboratories and technical centres developing new technologies and innovative products. R&D facilities and staff across Europe including in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, London, Madrid and Paris.

Operating in the fast-moving consumer goods sector and highly tuned to changing consumer tastes. Constant innovation anticipates and meets emerging trends.

Strong investments made in packaging.

Innovative, light weighting and eco-design programmes focusing on recovery, recyclability and reuse.

Significant investment in innovation to reduce sugar – embracing advances in no- and low-calorie sweeteners. Over 50% of all new products contain no or few calories. These represent over 40% of sales in some EU markets.

Innovation and new product development are the lifeblood of the industry. Some 1,500 new products are introduced each year with new varieties and flavours including no sugar drinks, vitamin drinks and fruit and plant-based options.

CONtributing to the communities in which it operates

As a local industry the sector is an active contributor to the communities in which it operates. It is involved in hundreds of community projects across the EU from regeneration of inner cities and local clean-ups to sports programmes and promoting educational opportunities for young women and the disadvantaged.

A fierce defender of gender and race equality and promoter of diversity. Committed to making a positive contribution to the communities of which it is a part. Invests in a wide array of actions through both grants and partnerships.

Delivering economic value & employment across the EU

Examination of six major markets illustrates how the European soft drinks industry supports economic activity and jobs across EU member states from ingredients, packaging and services through to on and off-trade sales

FRANCE