🇪🇺 EU.


Nicholas Hodac is the Director General of UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe since October 2019. He leads the Brussels-based EU association representing the European soft drinks industry with 23 national members and 9 corporate members. Within UNESDA’s remit are a wide range of soft drinks including squashes, still drinks, carbonates, powders, fruit drinks, iced teas, iced coffees, syrups, energy drinks and sports drinks. The areas of priority for Mr. Hodac are Sustainability (e.g. packaging, plastic, collection) and Responsibility (e.g. nutrition, health, sugar reduction, labelling) which form the core of UNESDA’s Aspirations for 2019-2024. Previously, Mr. Hodac was Government and Regulatory Affairs Executive for IBM Europe and leading on issues such as Artificial Intelligence and Trade policy. Prior to joining IBM Europe, Mr. Hodac worked for Ford of Europe as Head of the Brussels EU Affairs Office and for General Motors Europe.

3 May 2021

How the soft drinks industry’s recovery should taste

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the essential nature of Europe’s food and drink industry into sharp focus. The food and drink sector has managed to maintain […]
29 April 2021

Only in 2024 will international tourism return to “normal”

A study by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, commissioned by the European Travel Commission (ETC) on trends and prospects in the tourism sector, indicates that […]
29 April 2021

Travel and Tourism industry welcomes European Parliament vote on “EU Covid-19 Certificates”

Europe’s aviation, travel and tourism sectors fully welcome yesterday’s vote in the European Parliament on the EU’s proposed Digital Green Certificate Regulation, setting trilogue negotiations between […]
28 April 2021

European hospitality industry calls for a stronger focus by the European Institutions on the sector’s recovery

11 associations and trade unions representing the European hospitality industry and its value chain warmly welcome this week’s discussions at EU level on the survival of […]
28 April 2021

Could the pandemic be putting at risk our lunch habits?

The Covid-19 pandemic has considerably impacted most of our daily life’s habits. According to Eurofound, 37% of workers in the EU started working from home during […]
26 April 2021

Fully vaccinated Americans to be able to visit the EU this summer

US nationals who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to travel to the European Union this summer, announced the President of the European […]
21 April 2021

‘Now or Never’ for Single European Sky

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned that the Single European Sky (SES) project to reform Europe’s air traffic management system faces collapse if European states […]
14 April 2021

Covid-19: Council agrees its negotiating mandate on the Digital Green Certificate

EU ambassadors today agreed a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposal for a Digital Green Certificate. This certificate will facilitate safe and […]
7 April 2021

56% of Europeans are feeling positive about taking their summer holidays

The hope of summer getaways is encouraging travel sentiment in Europeans, as a majority (56%) say they will go on holiday by the end of August […]
6 April 2021

Night train to connect Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin and Prague

European Sleeper and RegioJet announced that a new night train service running from Brussels to Prague would start operating from next year. The train would make […]
6 April 2021

Why post-Brexit has embarrassed the EU over the vaccine roll out

Spare a thought, if you will, for the 450 million people who live on mainland Europe – they have been very badly let down over the […]
5 April 2021

Building a sustainable future for European travel

This past year has upended the entire travel industry. With ever-changing regulations and lockdowns, dwindling budgets, and fluctuating traveler comfort levels, it feels impossible to deploy […]
31 March 2021

UNWTO urges Europe to lead the way in tourism’s restart

As the latest data shows an 85% fall in tourist arrivals across Europe at the start of 2021, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has noted Europe can […]
30 March 2021

Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen to start delivering 200 million Covid-19 vaccines in Europe as of April 19th

Covid-19 vaccination campaigns have been slower in Europe than in some countries elsewhere, and several European countries have recently enforced new restrictions to curb the latest […]
29 March 2021

EU Vaccine Passport to be available by June 15th

On Sunday, March 28th, during the TV program Le Grand Jury RTL-Le Figaro-LCI, European Commissioner Thierry Breton indicated that the EU health passport should be available […]
26 March 2021

Members of the European Parliament demand safe and clean travel

EU criteria for safe and clean travel, a common vaccination certificate and an EU hygiene seal for businesses must be part of a new EU strategy […]