Overview
Lobbying Costs
735,500€
Financial year: Jan 2016 - Dec 2016
Lobbyists (Full time equivalent)
5 Fte (5)
Lobbyists with EP accreditation
4
High-level Commission meetings
24
Lobbying Costs over the years
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Info
Independent Retail Europe (formerly UGAL - Union of Groups of Independent Retailers of Europe)
EU Transparency Register
034546859-02 First registered on 25 Jun 2008
Goals / Remit
Established in 1963, Independent Retail Europe (formerly UGAL – the Union of groups of independent retailers of Europe) is the European trade association that acts as an umbrella organisation for groups of independent retailers in all food and non-food sectors.
Independent Retail Europe represents retail groups characterised by the provision of a support network to independent SME retail entrepreneurs, joint purchasing of goods and services to attain efficiencies and economies of scale, as well as respect for the independent character of the individual retailer.
Our members are groups of independent retailers and national associations representing them as well as wider service organizations set up to support independent retailers.
The marjority of our groups have been established by the retailers themselves, as a cooperative or similar format whereby retailers are the main shareholders and have oversight over the group's activities and strategy. The retailers can, but do not always operate under the same brand name. Other models are service providers which enable independent retailers to be competitive in the market.
Independent Retail Europe represents a very large part of the retail market: over 367,000 independent retailers, who manage more than 574,000 sales outlets in all EU Member States. This represents a total employment of more than 5,886,000 persons.
Independent Retail Europe is the oldest and second largest European retail association in Brussels.Main EU files targeted
Our priorities are defined by the business model of independent retailers working in a group structure and the sector.
Competition rules
As the central organisation of the group acts at a different economic level of the chain compared to the independent retailers, certain types of vertical agreements between the central organisation and the retailers are indispensible to the efficient functioning of these groups. Agreements can include information exchanges, purchasing agreements, agreements on commercialisation and standardisation.They have pro-competitive effects, which benefit consumers. Meanwhile, on a horizontal level, the retailers of the same group always remain independent entrepreneurs and competitors. Due to this dual structure, agreements between groups of independent retailers are subject to the vertical competition Regulation and guidelines but can also be subject to horizontal competition guidelines. We seek to heighten competition and consumer benefit whilst creating an optimal competitive playing field for our members.
Digital and Single Market Strategy
Our members are active multi-channel retailers. We seek to ensure that EU policy respects a fair playing field for all retail channels and that groups of independent retailers and their members can efficiently operate on and offline, and are able to compete on fair terms. Issues: Level playing field for on- and offline, geoblocking, platforms, parcel delivery, VAT, consumer rights, copying levies etc
Entrepreneurship
One way in which independent/SME retail entrepreneurs can reach their full potential whilst remaining independent is by joining a group of independent retailers. Therefore, we work on achieving political recognition for the group business model for independent/SME retail, as a promoter of entrepreneurship and sustainable growth. Related issues: cooperative business model, fair taxation, insolvency.
SME policy
Our member groups are composed of, or provide services to, independent SME retailers. Involvement in SME policy discussions are therefore a priority, to ensure that the interests of independent SME retailers are taken into consideration. SME financing.
European Retail Action Plan
In its European Retail Action Plan, the European Commission acknowledges the importance of our groups in the EU retail market. We seek to ensure that the actions contained in the plan benefit, and reflect the needs of, groups of independent retailers. Market diversity, healthy cities and private labels are related issues of importance.
B2B trading practices
Our members operate on wholesale and retail level and will be affected by the policy outcomes of discussions related to supply chain behaviour. We are a founder of the Supply Chain Initiative, a voluntary framework that seeks to ensure fair behaviour between different sectors in the food supply chain.
Product safety and labelling
Our members are deeply committed to ensuring that only safe products are on the market. This is essential for their relationships with customers and their reputation. In order to achieve clear, understandable rules that can easily be implemented and do not constitute an unnecessary burden on SME retailers, we work on the clarification of the obligations of economic actors – especially of distributors. Equally, we seek to avoid unnecessary burdens created by changes to the labelling rules.
Food safety and labelling
We have many members active in food retail. Our members believe that it is essential to ensure safe supply chains and high levels of consumer welfare. As such we are active on all food safety issues, particularly with regard to distributors obligations. We seek to avoid unnecessary burdens for SME retailers created by changes to the labelling rules.
Circular economy
Retailers work with many linked sectors and complex supply chains. As such we follow EU policy on the circular economy, waste and food waste, energy and resource efficiency, etcAddress
Head Office
Avenue des Gaulois, 3
Bruxelles 1040
BELGIUM -
People
Total lobbyists declared
5
Employment time Lobbyists 100% 5 Lobbyists (Full time equivalent)
5
Lobbyists with EP accreditation
All Lobbyists with EP accreditation over time
4 accreditations were / are live (in bold) for the selected state of 10 Feb 2017
Name Start date End Date Andrea SCHIERBAUM 23 Jan 2024 17 Jan 2025 Maria Margarida BOTA DE MELO PINTO NOGUEIRA 10 Jan 2024 09 Jan 2025 Romanos ANTONOPOULOS 21 Sep 2023 19 Sep 2024 Alexis WARAVKA 08 Jul 2023 05 Jul 2024 Ms Else GROEN 23 Feb 2023 11 Mar 2024 Alexis WARAVKA 26 Aug 2022 08 Jul 2023 Ms Sophia KRUGEL 23 Aug 2022 07 Jul 2023 Mr Julius LORENZEN 20 Aug 2022 03 Jul 2023 Ms Sophia KRUGEL 02 Sep 2021 23 Aug 2022 Alexis WARAVKA 25 Aug 2021 25 Aug 2022 Mr Julius LORENZEN 25 Aug 2021 20 Aug 2022 Elisabeth FREIIN VON REITZENSTEIN 10 Jan 2020 07 Oct 2020 Mr Ravi BHATIANI 23 Jan 2019 14 Jul 2019 Elisabeth FREIIN VON REITZENSTEIN 23 Jan 2019 10 Jan 2020 Ms Ariane CARRÉ 23 Jan 2019 05 Jan 2020 Mr Ravi BHATIANI 30 Jan 2018 23 Jan 2019 Elisabeth FREIIN VON REITZENSTEIN 30 Jan 2018 23 Jan 2019 Ms Ariane CARRÉ 30 Jan 2018 23 Jan 2019 Ms Laurence DESSOUROUX 30 Jan 2018 30 Jan 2019 Mr Ravi BHATIANI 02 Feb 2017 30 Jan 2018 Elisabeth FREIIN VON REITZENSTEIN 02 Feb 2017 30 Jan 2018 Ms Ariane CARRÉ 02 Feb 2017 30 Jan 2018 Ms Laurence DESSOUROUX 02 Feb 2017 30 Jan 2018 Ms Laurence DESSOUROUX 23 Feb 2016 03 Feb 2017 Mr Ravi BHATIANI 12 Feb 2016 03 Feb 2017 Elisabeth FREIIN VON REITZENSTEIN 12 Feb 2016 03 Feb 2017 Ms Ariane CARRÉ 12 Feb 2016 03 Feb 2017 Ms Else GROEN 05 Jun 2015 03 Jun 2016 Mr Ravi BHATIANI 11 Feb 2015 04 Feb 2016 Elisabeth FREIIN VON REITZENSTEIN 11 Feb 2015 06 Feb 2016 Ms Ariane CARRÉ 11 Feb 2015 05 Feb 2016 Elisabeth FREIIN VON REITZENSTEIN 12 Mar 2014 12 Feb 2015 Mr Ravi BHATIANI 11 Mar 2014 12 Feb 2015 Ms Ariane CARRÉ 11 Mar 2014 12 Feb 2015 Ms Ariane CARRÉ 24 Apr 2013 11 Mar 2014 Mr Ravi BHATIANI 23 Apr 2013 11 Mar 2014 Elisabeth FREIIN VON REITZENSTEIN 23 Apr 2013 12 Mar 2014 Mr Ravi BHATIANI 17 Jul 2012 23 Apr 2013 Ms Ariane CARRÉ 17 Jul 2012 23 Apr 2013 Elisabeth FREIIN VON REITZENSTEIN 17 Jul 2012 23 Apr 2013 Mr Denis LABATUT 30 Sep 2011 08 Jul 2012 Complementary Information
None declared
Person in charge of EU relations
Ms Else GROEN (Directeur Général)
Person with legal responsibility
Ms Else GROEN (Directeur Général)
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Categories
Category
II - In-house lobbyists and trade/business/professional associations
Subcategory
Trade and business associations
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Networking
Affiliation
None declared
Member organisations
None declared
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Financial Data
Closed financial year
Jan 2016 - Dec 2016
Lobbying costs for closed financial year
735,500€
Other financial info
L'entièreté du montant de chaque budget annuel étant affectée à l'objet social de l'association, ce montant est à considérer comme représentant les coûts liés aux activités de représentation d'intérêts.
Budget 2016 : 735.500 €
Les revenus proviennent exclusivement des cotisations des membres. -
EU Structures
Groups (European Commission)
Member of the High Level Forum for a Better Functioning Food Supply Chain
Member of the Expert Platform on food waste
Member of the Expert Group on the REFIT of the consumer acquis
Member of the Expert Group on the REFIT of the general food legislation
Member of the Expert Comittee on VAT (indirectly, via membership)ACC
Member of the Advisory Group on the Food Chain and Animal and Plant Health
Groups (European Parliament)
None
Communication activities
Independent Retail Europe organises a series of events entitled
"Independent Retail Europe Policy Platform"
Bringing together policy makers and independent retailers and their groups to exchange on specific policy issues of concern and interest.Other activities
We seek to become a member of the SME intergroup.
- Meetings
Meetings
24 meetings found. Download meetings
The list below only covers meetings held since November 2014 with commissioners, their cabinet members or directors-general at the European Commission; other lobby meetings with lower-level staff may have taken place, but the European Commission doesn't proactively publish information about these meetings. For more information about which commissioner is responsible for which portfolio, check out this link: https://commissioners.ec.europa.eu/index_en All information below comes from European Commission web pages.
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Date 12 Apr 2024 Location Brussels Subject Meeting to present the research on food waste management Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski Attending - Roberto Berutti (Cabinet member)
Other Lobbyists -
Date 02 Dec 2020 Location Brussels Subject Digital Markets Act Cabinet Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager Portfolio Europe Fit for Digital Age Attending - Werner Stengg (Cabinet member)
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Date 21 Apr 2020 Location Videoconference Subject economic impact of COVID-19 on the retail sector Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton Portfolio Internal Market Attending - Thierry Breton (Commissioner)
- Pauline Weinzierl (Cabinet member)
Other Lobbyists -
Date 09 Apr 2018 Location Brussels, Belgium Subject New deal for consumers – dual quality Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Věra Jourová Portfolio Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Attending - Eduard Hulicius (Cabinet member)
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Date 22 Mar 2018 Location Brussels Subject unfair trading practices, relations with third countries Cabinet Cabinet of Vice-President Cecilia Malmström Portfolio Trade Attending - Nele Eichhorn (Cabinet member)
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Date 22 Feb 2018 Location Brussels Subject Exchange of views on CCTB/CCCTB proposal and Digital taxation Cabinet Cabinet of Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis Portfolio Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Attending - Gints Freimanis (Cabinet member)
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Date 27 Nov 2017 Location Brussels Subject Digital / Agricultural Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel Portfolio Digital Economy and Society Attending - Carl-Christian Buhr (Cabinet member)
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Date 16 Nov 2017 Location Brussels Subject Food waste, Food chain initiative Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis Portfolio Health & Food Safety Attending - Marco Valletta (Cabinet member)
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Date 22 May 2017 Location Brussels, BERL Subject the supply chain initiative, as well as unfair trading practices Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan Portfolio Agriculture & Rural Development Attending - Elisabetta Siracusa (Cabinet member)
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Date 09 Mar 2017 Location Brussels Subject Current business practices in the retail sector Cabinet Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen Portfolio Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Attending - Filomena Chirico (Cabinet member)
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Date 01 Mar 2017 Location Brussels Subject Unfair trading practices Cabinet Cabinet of President Jean-Claude Juncker Portfolio President Attending - Paulina Dejmek Hack (Cabinet member)
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Date 25 Aug 2016 Location Brussels Subject competition related e-commerce developments and competition in the food supply chain Cabinet Cabinet of President Jean-Claude Juncker Portfolio President Attending - Paulina Dejmek Hack (Cabinet member)
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Date 24 Aug 2016 Location Brussels Subject Supply Chain Initiative Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan Portfolio Agriculture & Rural Development Attending - Christiane Canenbley (Cabinet member)
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Date 15 Jan 2016 Location Brussels Subject Supply Chain Initiative Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska Portfolio Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Attending - Rolf Carsten Bermig (Cabinet member)
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Date 24 Nov 2015 Location Brussels Subject Single Market Strategy Cabinet Cabinet of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen Portfolio Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Attending - Juho Romakkaniemi (Cabinet member)
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Date 20 Nov 2015 Location Brussels Subject Issues of interest for the European Retail sector Cabinet Cabinet of President Jean-Claude Juncker Portfolio President Attending - Paulina Dejmek Hack (Cabinet member)
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Date 22 Oct 2015 Location Brussels, Belgium Subject Latest development on food chain policy after President Juncker's SoU Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan Portfolio Agriculture & Rural Development Attending - Carl-Christian Buhr (Cabinet member)
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Date 25 Sep 2015 Location Brussels, Belgium Subject corporate taxation (CCCTB), country-by-country reporting (CBCR) and value added tax (VAT) Cabinet Cabinet of Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis Portfolio Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Attending - Jan Ceyssens (Cabinet member)
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Date 07 Jul 2015 Location Brussels Subject Platforms & geo-blocking Cabinet Cabinet of Vice-President Andrus Ansip Portfolio Digital Single Market Attending - Jasmin Battista (Cabinet member)
- Kamila Kloc (Cabinet member)
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Date 04 Jun 2015 Location Berlaymont, Brussels Subject Better Regulation Cabinet Cabinet of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans Portfolio Better Regulation, Interinstitutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights Attending - Michelle Sutton (Cabinet member)
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Date 28 Apr 2015 Location Brussels, Belgium Subject Eu plans on tax transparency and corporate taxation, reverse charge on VAT Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Pierre Moscovici Portfolio Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs Attending - Maria Elena Scoppio (Cabinet member)
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Date 17 Mar 2015 Location Brussels Subject Digital Single Market DG Günther Oettinger Attending - Markus Schulte (Cabinet member)
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Date 25 Feb 2015 Location Brussels, Belgium Subject Presentation by IRE of its organisation and members. Presentation of its work in and views about the Supply Chain Initiative and its future Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Phil Hogan Portfolio Agriculture & Rural Development Attending - Carl-Christian Buhr (Cabinet member)
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Date 18 Feb 2015 Location Berlaymont, Brussels Subject Introductory meeting Cabinet Cabinet of Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska Portfolio Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Attending - Agnieszka Drzewoska (Cabinet member)
- Kaius Kristian Hedberg (Cabinet member)
- Meetings