Organisation

Overview

FIVS is comprised of a General Assembly, a Presidential Council, Officers, and Committees.

• The General Assembly sets the overall direction for the group and is comprised of a representative from each member association.
• The Presidential Council implements the strategies set by the General Assembly and consists of a President, a Vice-President/Treasurer (whose duties may be combined or separated), and the Chairpersons of the various committees.
• The President and Vice-President/Treasurer are elected to two-year terms. The Vice-President/Treasurer generally succeeds the President or completes the term if the President is unable to do so.
• The President nominates Committee Chairpersons who must be confirmed by the General Assembly.
• The Secretariat coordinates operations to ensure the smooth functioning of the association and the committees.

The Committees

FIVS has nine committees. Each committee has two co-chairs who typically represent diverse interests within FIVS so that the work of the committee is balanced.

The committees are organized around areas of interest and focus particular attention on the activities of relevant international organizations. Committee chairpersons assisted by members monitor activities; report on key developments; and participate in relevant working groups, some as NGO participants. The committees are involved with the following organizations:

• World Trade Organization (WTO)
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• World Customs Organization (WCO)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• International Organization of the Vine and Wine (OIV)
• CODEX Alimentarius Commission
• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
• The International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML)
• Wine Specific Category Committee (WCC)

The Roots of FIVS

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, most of the associations and institutes in the alcohol beverage industry were European. Two of the most influential of these groups were the Commission Internationale Permanente de l’Agriculture, a governmental body, and the Comité International du Commerce des vins, cidres, spiritueux et liqueurs. These associations and institutes met regularly and collaborated to advance the interests of the alcohol beverage industry.

These organisations became especially active in the inter-war period in the face of Prohibition. While the view of banning alcohol beverage consumption had its genesis in the United States, Prohibition spread to Europe and other parts of the world. This brought about greater international cooperation by the industry and led to the creation of an international organisation called the Ligue Internationale des Adversaires de la Prohibition in 1919. This organisation, composed of spirits and wine interests, can be considered one of the main predecessor organisations to FIVS. By 1922, Ligue membership was made up of twelve European countries: France, England, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Austria and the United States joined in 1924. The last documented meeting of the Ligue took place in Vienna in 1936.

The reasons underpinning the existence of an international association representing alcohol beverage interests led to the establishment of FIVS in 1951.

Today, FIVS is a global federation for all facets of the wine, beer and spirits industries. Since the 1950s, FIVS’ mission has grown as a reflection of the increasing internationalisation of the industry and its related opportunities and challenges. FIVS works on issues ranging from the social aspects of alcohol consumption to the promotion of sustainable development of the industry. You can learn more about FIVS’ strategic initiatives by exploring this website.

Past Presidents of FIVS