The European Vegetarian Union

The European Vegetarian Union (EVU) is an "umbrella" organisation for most vegetarian groups in Europe. EVU's mission is to further the cooperation of European vegetarian groups and to inform the public.

In view of the ongoing internationalization and merging on the food sector, the EVU launched a standardised European vegetarian label with the aim of easy identification of vegetarian products and services. However, the EVU itself does exist for some time already:

The Development of EVU

The original plan of increased cooperation went into a more concrete phase during the first European Vegetarian Congress in Cervia, Italy in 1985. In December of the same year, representatives from seven European vegetarian societies met at Brussels to discuss possibilities for collaboration. In the year 1988, the EVU was founded and officially registered as international union in The Netherlands. At the moment the Secretariat is in Belgium.

Aims

The EVU sees itself as an umbrella organisation for European vegetarian societies and assists them in their respective activities with regard to vegetarianism, animal rights, ecology, the campaign against world hunger and matters of health and consumer protection.

The first aim of EVU is to support the vegetarian societies in the different European countries and to bring their members together, especially in those countries where vegetarian ideas have not yet been clearly developed.

The cooperation between the member organisations is achieved mainly through the quarterly magazine "European Vegetarian", where all events, trends, developments, initiatives and activities are reported, which have a bearing on vegetarians.

Of paramount importance are also personal contacts between vegetarians throughout Europe, the creation of international understanding, an exchange of ideas and information and mutual help. It is to this end that EVU meetings and events are arranged in order to inform, through lectures and working groups, about recent developments and discoveries and thereby improve efficiency and solidarity. Future EVU seminars are to serve the intensive training of co-workers in different fields.

Through membership of the International Vegetarian Union (IVU), the EVU has contact with the international vegetarian community.

Membership for Organizations

Any organisation aiming at the promotion of the vegetarian idea can join the EVU as a full member. For societies with similar programmes, the possibility of an associate membership is offered. Furtheremore individuals and families are welcome as associate members, supporting the work of the EVU morally and financially. At the moment the EVU has about 90 member-organisations.

Supporting the European Vegetarianism

EVU is the only vegetarian organisation working at an international European level in the interest of vegetarian organisations and individuals. EVU is independent from commercial and political influence and all the officers are volunteers. This also means that EVU can achieve its aims only with the help of members and supporters.

Please join the EVU as full or associate member. The minimum fee for individual members is only 20 Euro at the moment. Vegetarian organisations pay a fee according to the number of their members. The magazine "European Vegetarian" (in English) is included in this subscription.

Since the income through memberships is not sufficient for far reaching and important campaigns, any donation is accepted with gratitude.

Contact:
European Vegetarian Union (EVU), Bahnhofstr. 52, CH-9315 Neukirch (Egnach), Tel.: +32 65 362584, Fax: +41 71 477 33 78, E-Mail: evu (at) euroveg.eu