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European Vending & Coffee Service Association calls for emergency aid for members

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April 3, 2020

The European Vending & Coffee Service Association has called on governing organizations — the EU Commission, European Central Bank and national governments — to provide emergency financial relief and other measures to alleviate the severe revenue decline caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Paolo Ghidotti, EVA president, said in a letter to the organizations that vending operators, who are already reporting business losses of up to 90%, will find continuation unsustainable without immediate financial support.

Some buildings are preventing vending operators from accessing the premises in order to refill, restock (and critically) sanitize machines, even where national restrictions allow access for external workers, Ghidotti stated in his letter.  

The EVA calls upon the European Commission, the European Central Bank and national governments to swiftly implement the following measures: 

• Establish a European approach to the restriction measures of people, to have a common and effective strategy to combat the further spread of COVID-19.
• Ensure the free and seamless movement of goods in the internal market despite the closure of some national borders in order that both raw materials and manufactured products are transported swiftly.
• Provide temporary state aid from national governments for the vending and coffee service industry.
• Provide fast and easy access to short- and medium-term loans to overcome liquidity shortages.
• Provide immediate fiscal relief for SMEs, including short term refunding of already paid tax and social contributions, and temporary deferment of new payments.
• Establish targeted reductions in value added taxes and excise over the medium term.
• Provide minimum net salary compensation (e.g. of 90%) for employees facing technical unemployment.
• Establish appropriate insurance compensation in the case of forced closure or loss of unused stock.
• Provide financial support for companies to conduct for example short-time work schemes, training programs.
• Disseminate protective equipment (masks, gloves, etc.) at EU level to ensure that fillers and technicians aren’t unduly exposed to the virus when they work on vending machines in public places.

For updates on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the convenience services industry, click here.