I BEER
AMSTEL
Greece
Regional developments
pean internal market in the manner which
the European Commission now envisa
ges. It is improbable that one large Euro
pean market will be achieved by 1992.
On the one hand this is regrettable, be
cause an essential prerequisite for the
genuine creation of the Community is
thereby missing. On the other hand, this
gives us the opportunity to try on a vol
untary basis, and in consultation with the
European authorities, to lay down certain
minimum rules regarding requirements for
product composition and nomenclature.
We believe that in this way confusion on
the part of producers and consumers
can be avoided and both parties can be
given greater certainty as to what is and
what is not to be understood by a certain
product, and what can be expected as
regards product composition and quality.
In Europe, in addition to the international
beer brands Heineken and Amstel, a number
of national brands are brewed and marketed.
The enterprise has breweries in the Nether
lands, France. Spain. Italy, Greece and
Ireland. In addition, Group brands are pro
duced and sold by independent licensees
in Great Britain, Italy, Norway and Sweden.
Exports, particularly from the Netherlands,
occupy an important position in our sales.
In the Netherlands and France soft drinks
are produced and marketed. We also distri
bute spirits and wine in both countries,
whilst spirits are produced in the Nether
lands.
Patras
Of the total sales of beer brewed under
the supervision of Heineken, 60.6% took
place in Europe during the year under
review, which meant that this continent
remained the most important market for
our enterprise. In many West European
countries we are represented with the
international brands Heineken and/or
Amstel, whether or not in combination
with national brands. The Heineken brand
has grown to be the leading European
beer brand, a position which has been
reached by a deliberate acquisition and
investment policy over a number of years.
The increase in beer sales in Europe,
which amounted to 2.8% in 1986, is a
result of a continuation of economic
growth in a number of countries and
improved market positions, such as in
France, Italy and Greece. The good
summer weather in a large part of
Europe also contributed to the rise in
sales.
The past year was also marked by the
great attention paid at European level to
technique and technology. The stimulation
of technological and biotechnological
research is an incentive for us to follow
these developments energetically in
house, so that we ourselves are in a
position to apply the latest methods within
our establishments to our traditional prod
ucts.
As regards excise legislation, our efforts
continue unabated to ensure that the
possibility remains open in Europe of
using side by side the two systems of
levying excise duty which are now ap
plied.
In 1986 we were once again closely
involved in the consequences of Euro
pean agricultural policy. The possibility
of being able to continue to compete on
the world market on the same cost price
conditions for raw materials as our com
petitors, a possibility offered to us by the
system of export restitutions, is of vital
importance.
We shall therefore pursue our efforts to
ensure that in the forthcoming GATT
agricultural consultations these resti
tutions, too, are maintained unabridged
in the event of continuation of the present
EEC agricultural policy.
The capacity of Mouterij Albert N.V. in
Belgium, which is over 110,000 tonnes,
was almost fully utilized during the year
under review. The company produces
high-quality malt, mainly on behalf of our
breweries in Europe and Africa.
Thessaloniki
quality product
In the previous annual report we already
mentioned possible detrimental conse
quences of the creation of a single Euro-
Athens
