Tobias Bachmüller, CAOBISCO President, discusses the need for workable regulation and why the sweet snack industry’s future remains bright…
What is CAOBISCO’s mission, and how does it support sweet snack manufacturers across Europe?
CAOBISCO is the Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe. For more than six decades we have been the voice in Brussels of a sector of over 15,500 manufacturing companies, 99% of them SMEs and many of them family businesses several generations old. Together they produce some 14 million tonnes of products a year, generate €85.5 billion in annual turnover and employ more than 300,000 people directly. Our exports are worth €22 billion against €5 billion of imports, a surplus that speaks for the quality and the reputation of what Europe makes.
Our mission rests on three pillars. First, we speak with one voice to the European institutions so that policy reflects the practical realities of our members, from food safety and labelling to trade and sustainability. Second, we support our members with data, market intelligence and a platform to exchange best practice on all non-competitive issues, making the most of the expertise across our national associations. Third, we work to build trust in our categories: chocolate, biscuits and confectionery are treats, small pleasures that belong in a balanced diet, and we want them to be safe, of high quality and responsibly produced. Put simply, we work to keep the small pleasures in life safe and delicious.
Which challenges are currently having the greatest impact on your members, and how is CAOBISCO helping them navigate these issues?
The honest answer is that the challenges are interconnected, and that is precisely what makes them demanding. Raw materials come first. Cocoa has been through its most turbulent period in decades, with record prices, extreme volatility and structural pressures from climate, crop disease and farmer incomes that remain unresolved. Sugar policy adds to the strain, which is why we have strongly opposed the planned suspension of inward processing for sugar, an instrument our exporters depend on to stay competitive. Second, the regulatory environment is shifting profoundly. We support the objectives of the new rules on deforestation, due diligence and packaging, but their cumulative complexity weighs heavily, particularly on SMEs. Third, geopolitics: trade fragmentation translates directly into higher input costs, disrupted logistics and fewer export opportunities. Add evolving consumer choices, pressure on household purchasing power and the investment that digitalisation requires, and you have a genuinely challenging landscape.
