Profile/The E.S.E. Collective Brand.
The Consortium for the Development and Protection of the E.S.E. Standard is unique because it brings together leading international espresso coffee roasters and machine manufacturers who actively compete in the marketplace; but who in the consortium work specifically for the affirmation and development of the portioned coffee "system" offering (the combination of machine and paper pod).
The Consortium for the Development and Protection of the E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) Standard, was established on February 23, 1998 by the will of seven founding members (companies belonging to the roasting and espresso machine manufacturing sectors).
The Consortium is non-profit, owns and is responsible for the E.S.E.(*) collective trademark and promotes the international industry standard of the same name through:
- the affirmation of the E.S.E. trademark among industry professionals and consumers with respect to the individual trademarks of its members;
- the supervision of the improper use of the trademark by companies in the sector that are not members of the Consortium;
- the implementation of communication actions in sectors that are different from each other.
With members sharing its strategic choices (member list to follow), the E.S.E. Consortium has consolidated its institutional role and contributed to the establishment of the E.S.E. industry standard as a reference for the international espresso market.
The Consortium, in the year of its establishment, established itself in an emerging market characterized by a great confusion of roles and objectives, establishing itself, not only among insiders, with the E.S.E. brand, now recognized in many markets.
The E.S.E. Consortium aims to develop a frank and open debate among the different players in the portioned coffee sector (pods and capsules in paper, plastic and aluminum) because:
- it is the only contact table between the main roasters, machine manufacturers and retailers in the coffee world operating internationally and nationally;
- has within it varied technical expertise and interesting market experiences;
- intends to promote coopetition (cooperation and competition) among the various operators and systems.
(*) The E.S.E. collective trademark is registered in more than 100 countries (list available upon request).
The Consortium provides Members with tools for the use of the E.S.E. mark on packaging and during communication and promotion initiatives; stimuli for communication and promotion initiatives and opportunities for co-marketing actions among Members.
The Consortium acts as an intermediary table and is the "institutional voice" of the benefits of the system; it does not 'sell the product' E.S.E., but facilitates initiatives for its dissemination.
The chronology of an idea
1996
illycaffè liberalizes the E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) patent in order to create a single industry standard. illycaffè, after devising the patent, champions the dissemination of the industrial system for preparing epsresso coffee.
1997
The aggregation of interested enterprises in the roasting and espresso machine manufacturing industry begins.
1998
Founding year of the Consortium.
Founding members: Briel, Euromatik, Girmi, illycaffè, Little Italy, SGL, Unic.
2000/2002
The role of the Consortium is being strengthened. E.S.E. members account for 80% of the world espresso machine production market and 40-50% of the paper pod market. The E.S.E. standard supports production refinement and quality improvement of both paper pods and machines.
The Consortium exhibited at numerous international trade and food fairs.
2003/2004
The E.S.E. standard affirms the "culture of serving" among operators worldwide. The initial goals of the Consortium have been achieved. The market for E.S.E. standard paper portioned coffee grows mainly abroad.
2005/2006
The waffle market is increasingly crowded with preparation systems, diverse, competitive and confusing. And increasingly profitable and still with enormous potential.
A new phase also begins for the Consortium; an open debate opens on the transformations of the coffee market, from a traditional offering of a "simple" raw material (beans or ground), to a product/service (the ready-to-cup beverage prepared by numerous systems, open and closed).
The Consortium is organizing the "First International Portioned Coffee Symposium."
2007/2009
The E.S.E. standard launches the quality improvement of the standard.
To make the execution of compliance tests more precise and standardized, the pod size parameters are narrowed and different classifications of the coffee drink are studied.
Quality Technical Committees (composed of members from different companies), study two silicone prototypes that perfectly simulate the two sizes of E.S.E. pods, to enable standardized and accurate compliance testing.
2010/2012
The path to the total quality of the E.S.E. standard is completed by performing the preliminary tests for compostability certification.
1996
illycaffè liberalizza il brevetto E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) al fine di creare un unico standard industriale. illycaffè, dopo averlo ideato il brevetto, si fa promotore della diffusione del sistema industriale per la preparazione del caffè epsresso.
1997
Ha inizio l’aggregazione delle imprese interessate del settore della torrefazione e della produzione di macchine espresso.
1998
Anno di fondazione del Consorzio.
I Soci fondatori: Briel, Euromatik, Girmi, illycaffè, Little Italy, SGL, Unic.
2000/2002
Il ruolo del Consorzio si rafforza. I soci E.S.E. rappresentano l’80% del mercato mondiale di produzione di macchine espresso e il 40-50% del mercato delle cialde in carta. Lo standard E.S.E. sostiene il perfezionamento della produzione e il miglioramento della qualità sia delle cialde in carta che delle macchine.
Il Consorzio espose in numerose fiere internazionali di settore e alimentari.
2003/2004
Lo standard E.S.E. afferma la “cultura del serving” tra gli operatori di tutto il mondo. Gli obiettivi iniziali del Consorzio sono stati raggiunti. Il mercato del caffè porzionato in carta a standard E.S.E. cresce principalmente all’estero.
2005/2006
Il mercato delle cialde è sempre più affollato di sistemi di preparazione, diversificato, competitivo e confuso. E sempre più profittevole e ancora con enormi potenzialità.
Inizia una nuova fase anche per il Consorzio; si apre un dibattito aperto sulle trasformazioni del mercato del caffè, da tradizionale offerta di una “semplice” materia prima (grani o macinato), a prodotto/servizio (la bevanda pronta in tazza preparata da numerosi sistemi, aperti e chiusi).
Il Consorzio organizza il “Primo Simposio Internazionale del Caffè Porzionato”.
2007/2009
Lo standard E.S.E. vara il miglioramento della qualità dello standard.
Per rendere l’esecuzione dei test di conformità più precisa e standardizzata, vengono ristretti i parametri dimensionali della cialda e si studiano diverse classificazioni della bevanda caffè.
I Comitati Tecnici di Qualità (composti da soci di diverse aziende), studiano due prototipi in silicone che simulano perfettamente le due misure delle cialde E.S.E., per consentire controlli di conformità standardizzati e precisi.
2010/2012
Il percorso verso la qualità totale dello standard E.S.E. viene completato dall’esecuzione dei test preliminari per la certificazione di compostabilità.
The E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) Consortium is a voluntary nonprofit association established for the purpose of:
- protect the production and marketing of pods (servings), espresso machines and pod-making machines that conform to the E.S.E. standard;
- Ensure proper use of the E.S.E. collective trademark;
- increase consumption and encourage the production of E.S.E. pods, espresso machines designed to use E.S.E. pods and E.S.E. pod-making machines;
- Promote the production and quality improvement of E.S.E. pods, espresso machines and machines for the production of E.S.E. pods, providing consortium members with the necessary directives and technical assistance;
- Supervise the production and trade of E.S.E. pods and espresso machines and E.S.E. pod-making machines;
- supervise the correct application of the standard, the Easy Serving Espresso name, the consortium markings and brands, promoting actions, including judicial actions, to prevent and suppress abuses and irregularities;
- guaranteeing to the public that the product with the E.S.E. denomination possesses the requirements and technical specifications proper to the E.S.E. standard and determined in the statute.
Protection of the Trademark
The Consortium for the Development and Protection of the E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) Standard, is the owner of the collective trademark of the same name, which is registered in over one hundred countries around the world.
The use of the E.S.E. collective trademark and the definitions associated with it are strictly reserved for the relationship between the E.S.E. Consortium and its Members.
Only member companies, bound by the requirements and technical specifications defined in the standard prepared by the Consortium, may use the E.S.E. mark and definitions on the packaging of their products (servings and espresso machines), to protect the good faith of consumers who must be able to rely on the presence of these requirements.
In the absence of this relationship, any use of the E.S.E. collective trademark by any other party except those legally deputized (the members), constitutes the violation of E.S.E.'s intellectual property right (article no.2598 c.c. no.2 of the Civil Code) and infringes on one of the main objectives stipulated in the E.S.E. Consortium's Articles of Association.
As the manager of the E.S.E collective mark, the Consortium must:
✅ encourage production refinement and quality improvement of servings and machines;
✅ simplify consumer and operator choices through a single industry standard;
✅ to represent a meeting place for operators;
✅ provide appropriate communication tools;
✅ develop proposals for initiatives to promote the E.S.E. (machinery and serving) system.
There are three areas in which the activities of the ESE Consortium are concentrated:
1. Institutional managementarea : maintenance, control and defense of the collective brand and management of the Consortium's institutional activities.
2. Member servicearea : collection, management and distribution of useful information to members.
3. Communication and promotionarea : creation, organization and management of external information about the E.S.E. standard, the Consortium and its members.
Presidency and Board of Directors
The General Assembly of Members represents the entire membership and its resolutions bind the Members indiscriminately.
All Members have the right to attend the Assembly and cast their (single) vote. The Assembly is chaired by the Chairman of the BOD, who is the executive body of the Consortium and is vested with the broadest powers for its operation.
The BoD is elected by the Assembly and consists of a minimum of three to a maximum of nine directors, who serve for three years.
The Board of Directors (2016-2018)
Chairman: Furio Suggi Liverani (illycaffè)
Director: Mario Cerutti (Lavazza)
Director: Eugène de Parscau du Plessix (Groupe Seb)
Councilor: Franco Guzzi (Cohn & Wolfe)
How to become a member
Joining the Consortium is a definite strategic choice of companies that want to prepare for the challenges of the market, particularly in terms of their approach to the end consumer.
The admission of new members takes place following a request from companies in the sector. Once the conditions stipulated in the Articles of Association have been verified and opportunities have been evaluated in relation to the Consortium's purposes, it is the Board of Directors that decides on the member's admission.
The following may be members of the Consortium:
- roasters who produce and/or market roasted coffee servings in the E.S.E. standard;
- companies that produce and/or market E.S.E. espresso coffee machines;
- the manufacturers of machines producing E.S.E. servings;
- trade associations that directly or indirectly are interested in the development of the E.S.E. standard with headquarters both in Italy and abroad;
- the manufacturers of raw materials used in the production of coffee and espresso machine servings;
- modern distribution for the marketing of private label coffee servings.
Useful documentation for membership is reserved for those who confirm their interest by sending a written request to the general secretariat of the Consortium E.S.E.:redaelli@eseconsortium.com
- Letter of Application for Admission
- Letter of Accession
- Letter of Assignment to SGS Certification Body
- Fee Schedule for Performing E.S.E Standard Compliance Audits
- The Bylaws and the 5 annexes (Technical Specifications and the Instructions for Use of the Kit with Prototype Silicone E.S.E. Wafers - Check-it-E.S.E.)
- The Regulations for the License to Use the E.S.E. Trademark"
- The Operating Regulations for the performance of checks on the conformity of products to the E.S.E standard
*(to be requested by e-mail from the secretariat of the Consortium)
- Technical paper on compostability certification
- Technical Document for voluntary certification of compostable artifacts (E.S.E. standard paper coffee pod).