National Campaigns
CAMRA campaigns for real ale, real pubs and consumer rights. We are an independent, voluntary organisation with over 160,000 members and have been described as the most successful consumer group in Europe. CAMRA promotes good-quality real ale and pubs, as well as acting as the consumer's champion in relation to the UK and European beer and drinks industry. Our key campaigns are:
| 1. | Stop tax killing beer and pubs. |
| 2. | Secure an effective government support package for pubs |
| 3. | Encourage more people to try a range of real ales, cider and perries |
| 4. | Raise the profile of pub-going and increase the number of people using pubs regularly |
Protecting Small Cider Producers
CAMRA has launched a new campaign to support small cider makers under serious threat from the European Union (EU), which has demanded the UK Government remove its excise duty exemption for small producers.
CAMRA fully supports real cider and perries and we are incredibly concerned that the proposed action will see small cider producers landed with a tax bill of up to £2,700 every year. The duty exemption applies to producers who make less than 70 Hectolitres (hl) of cider a year, which is about 12,000 pints a year (33 pints a day). In general, these producers are hobbyists or make cider as a side business, earning less than £10,000 a year. A tax of £2,700 would have a serious impact on their income, and is likely to lead to wide-spread closures.
Ever since alcohol duty was introduced there has been an exemption in place to help small cider producers for whom making cider is an integral part of rural culture. About 80% of Britain's cider market falls into this category, which is made up of over 500 individual producers. While their output levels may be small, they are integral to a great British tradition and help support a lively pub culture and tourism sector.
Katie McKelliget, Campaigns Manager at CAMRA: "The majority of real cider comes from small scale producers and has long been part of rural tradition and culture. The proposed action by the European Union is wholly disproportionate, given that a small producer selling up to 33 pints a day has no capacity to affect EU trade to any meaningful degree. If these producers are driven out of business it will dramatically reduce consumer choice and cause irreparable damage to one of the nation's most historic industry."
We are now working hard to persuade the Government to reject this request and have written letters to the Treasury and the European Commission about the issue. We are also lobbying MPs to urge the Government to put UK cider producers and consumers first.
Please help support this campaign: Click HERE to sign our petition "protect small cider producers".
Closing Planning Loopholes
CAMRA’s Great British Beer Festival – Britain’s largest, held at London’s Olympia back in August - was the venue to launch a new high-profile, hard-hitting CAMRA campaign. The objective of the Pubs Matter campaign is to close planning loopholes that leave pubs exposed to the whims of developers, and in so doing give communities a voice when proposals come forward to either convert or demolish them. This campaign has its own Pubs Matter website, which explains to campaigners, MP’s and Councillors how to get involved.
Local Campaigns
