International Butchers‘ Confederation

The International Butchers‘ Confederation (IBC) is a federation of national associations of small and medium-sized craft butcher and catering companies.

IBC today represents 9 associations from the countries of the European Union and the EFTA and is committed to the interests of more than 150,000 craft butcher and catering companies in Europe, which together employ nearly 1 million people. The total turnover of this sector amounts in excess of 60 billion euro per year.

When as early as in 1907 already, the International Congress of Butchers was founded, the way was paved for the future IBC. Since 1st January 1991, IBC has been represented in Brussels, Belgium, with a permanent Secretariat General. 

In 1979, the IBC was one of the founding members of CELCAA, the European Liaison Committee for the Agricultural and Agri-Food Trade. Through CELCAA, the IBC can register national experts of its member federations for the European Commission Advisory Groups on Agriculture and on the Food Chain and Animal Health. 

IBC promotes the interests of the European butcher craft sector at the European level towards the EU Institutions. IBC updates its members on the latest legislative and technical developments on various policy issues common to the sector.

IBC also works as a networking platform for its members to exchange information and expertise relevant for the butcher craft.

IBC mission consists of:

• Facilitating and promoting the regulatory framework of the sector

• Securing a favourable institutional and legal environment for the good functioning of the European butcher craft

• Exchanging information and building common advocacy on sectorial regulatory issues

• Improving and ensuring awareness for the belongings of the butcher craft at European level.