A beer a day for Romanians during Euro 2008

“The European Football Championship and good weather in the second half of June led to the rise in beer consumption,” said Constantin Bratu, General Manager of BR.

The beer market reached 9.9 million hl in the first half of 2008, with BR members claiming 7.9 million hl of these sales.

Bratu indicated that there is a slowing of the growth trend which was very alert in former years. Although the summer season has just begun, we expect full-year evolution for the entire market to reach some 7 percent,” added Bratu.
BR members have reaffirmed their commitment to build a powerful and responsible beer market. Since coming onto the Romanian market, these companies have invested €766 million in production facilities, contributing €264 mln to the state budget in 2007 alone.

Established in December 2004, the Romanian Brewers Association is the largest such organization in the country, covering 80 percent of the beer industry. Members of the association carry out ample national social projects, one of which, well-known among high school students, is the “Alcoolul nu te face mare” [“Alcohol does not make you grown up”] campaign, supported by the Ministry of Education and Research and the Romanian Police. Since February, members of the association have also launched a campaign to raise consciousness among drivers about the risks of driving while under the influence.