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European Beer Production Hits Record 34.7 Billion Litres in 2024

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

August 5, 2025

Overview

In 2024, the European Union surpassed a significant milestone by producing 34.7 billion litres of beer. The cumulative total includes 32.7 billion litres of beers containing more than 0.5 per cent alcohol and an additional 2 billion litres of beers that are either low or non-alcoholic. This achievement underscores the dynamic nature and resilience of the EU’s brewing industry.

Evolving Production Trends

The production volume for traditional alcoholic beers increased marginally by 0.6 per cent, amounting to an extra 0.2 billion litres compared with 2023. Contrasting this modest growth, production of low- and non-alcoholic beers surged by a robust 11.1 per cent across the bloc, also representing an increase of 0.2 billion litres. This shift reflects the evolving consumer preferences and market responsiveness within the beverage sector.

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Leaders in Production

Germany continued to dominate the production landscape by brewing 7.2 billion litres of beer, exceeding 0.5 per cent alcohol, accounting for 22.2 per cent of the total EU output. Spain followed in second place with 4.0 billion litres (12.3 percent), while Poland contributed 3.4 billion litres (10.6 percent). The Netherlands and Belgium secured the fourth and fifth positions, with 2.2 billion litres (6.8 percent) and 2.1 billion litres (6.3 percent), respectively.

Trade Insights and Export Dynamics

Trade data from Eurostat reveals notable export activities within the region. Cyprus, for instance, exported nearly 7 million litres of beer in total, of which approximately 1.31 million litres were shipped to non-EU markets, while 5.67 million litres were destined for other EU member states. The Netherlands emerged as the leading exporter of alcoholic beer, with total exports reaching 1.5 billion litres. However, this figure represents a 12 per cent decline compared with 2023. Germany and Belgium each exported 1.4 billion litres, followed by Czechia at 0.6 billion litres and Ireland at 0.5 billion litres.

Import Dynamics

On the import side, France maintained its position as the largest importer of alcoholic beer in the EU with 0.8 billion litres in 2024, while Italy imported over 0.7 billion litres. Both Spain and Germany imported close to 0.6 billion litres each. Additionally, the Netherlands, despite being the top exporter, also recorded imports nearing 0.5 billion litres, revealing a balanced trade dynamic.

The data not only underscores the robust nature of the EU’s beer industry but also highlights the shifting patterns in both production and trade, driven by consumer preferences and international market strategies. As the industry evolves, these trends will be crucial for stakeholders evaluating future investments and policy directions in the European beverage sector.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

by News Editor

August 24, 2026

Courts Are Still Applying Old Copyright Rules To AI

AI companies train models on enormous amounts of published material, including books, articles and academic research. Whether using that content without authors’ permission violates copyright law remains unresolved.

Much of the debate centres on fair use, which allows copyrighted material to be used without permission in certain circumstances. Courts consider factors such as the purpose of the use, how much material was involved and its impact on the original market.

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Anthropic Case Sets An Important Precedent

A major case involving Anthropic and a group of authors provided one of the clearest rulings so far. Judge William Alsup found that using copyrighted books to train AI models was lawful, comparing the process to people reading and studying literature before creating something new.

Anthropic was nevertheless ordered to pay $1.5 billion in a settlement. The penalty concerned books the company had obtained from illegal online libraries rather than the AI training itself.

For AI companies, that distinction could prove significant because it separates studying copyrighted material from directly copying it.

Competition Could Be The Key Issue

A case involving Thomson Reuters and Ross Intelligence offers a different perspective. A court ruled that Ross could not claim fair use after using Reuters’ copyrighted material to develop a competing AI-powered legal research platform.

The decision suggests courts may be less willing to consider AI training fair use when copyrighted content is used to build a product that directly competes with the original.

For authors, an unresolved question is whether AI-generated content should be considered competition for the works used to train these models.

The Law Has Yet To Catch Up

US copyright law predates generative AI by decades, leaving courts to apply old principles to new technology. Questions also remain over copyright protection for AI-generated works. In Thaler v. Perlmutter, a court ruled that material created entirely by AI cannot receive copyright protection.

Major AI companies remain involved in copyright litigation, and different courts could reach different conclusions. For now, there is no universal rule: the legality of AI training will depend on the circumstances of each case and how courts ultimately interpret copyright and fair use.