Tobias Bachmüller, CAOBISCO President, discusses the pressures facing Europe’s confectionery sector, the need for workable regulation and why the industry’s future remains bright
Europe’s chocolate, biscuit and confectionery manufacturers are navigating volatile raw material costs, complex regulation, shifting trade conditions and rising sustainability expectations. Yet Tobias Bachmüller, President of CAOBISCO, remains confident in the sector’s resilience. Here, he explains how the association supports manufacturers, why policymakers must deliver workable and predictable rules, and what gives him optimism about the industry’s future.
What is CAOBISCO’s mission, and how does it support confectionery, chocolate and biscuit 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.
CAOBISCO’s role is to turn this complexity into clarity. We bring evidence and practical solutions to policymakers, give members guidance, data and early intelligence, and build coalitions across the food chain. Our members do not ask for less ambition. They ask for workable rules and predictability, and that is what we fight for every day.
Sustainability continues to shape the future of the confectionery sector. Where do you see the greatest opportunities for collaboration between industry, policymakers and the wider supply chain?
Our sector did not wait for legislation. Members were pioneers of sustainability when the framework was still voluntary, through certification, company sourcing programmes, and long-standing partnership with NGOs all over the world. So as Europe moves from voluntary to mandatory standards, our industry is not starting from zero. In many respects we are the avant-garde.
The greatest opportunity now lies in the implementation phase, and it is one we can only seize together. Sustainability matters to our industry, and so does competitiveness. What we ask of policymakers is to enable the two to advance together rather than present them as alternatives, because our members cannot deliver on ambition if the conditions to invest are not there.
That is generally the intention behind European policy, and we recognise it. What we see in practice, however, is an accumulation of red tape and administrative requirements that adds cost without adding environmental or social value. This weighs on everyone, and it weighs most heavily on companies that also operate on international markets, where competitors from third countries face no comparable obligations. That gap is a real disadvantage, and it is felt hardest by the SMEs that make up the vast majority of our industry.
This is why we see simplification not as a step back from ambition, but as the practical tool that brings the two together. Reducing duplication, harmonising reporting and giving companies clear and stable guidance frees up resources for what actually delivers change on the ground. If industry, policymakers and the supply chain align on feasibility, Europe’s sustainability leadership will deliver results, not just obligations. If industry, policymakers and the supply chain align on feasibility, Europe’s sustainability leadership will deliver results, not just obligations.
Which long-term consumer trends will have the biggest influence on the European confectionery market over the next five years?
The most important trend is also the oldest: people love treats. Chocolate, biscuits and confectionery are about pleasure and small moments of indulgence, and that emotional role is remarkably resilient. What is changing is how consumers want to enjoy them. We see mindful indulgence, with growing attention to portions and balance, which is why CAOBISCO has long promoted responsible consumption. And we see transparency becoming a condition of trust. Innovation in taste, texture and experience will keep the category exciting. Our message to policymakers is simple: treats play a distinct role in everyday life and should not be discriminated against. The future lies in informed, balanced enjoyment.
