36 Regional Reports - Western Europe mented a major reorganisation by streamlining sale, logistics and administrative functions. Further, significant investments to improve effi- ciency in production were initiated during the year. The assortment of own products as well as third party trading products has been substantially re- duced. These initiatives allowed FeldschlGLYPH<154>sschen to improve results above expectations. man breweries have announced their interest in a joint initiative to acquire wholesalers. Hannen Brauerei GmbH has undergone a stra- tegy review under the new management, which, among other things, has resulted in a streamlined organisation with increased focus on core brands in key sales areas. Furthermore, the building of the Carlsberg brand is becoming increasingly impor- tant and 2001 saw the launch of two new Carls- berg packagings. The italian beer market showed a modest increase with an upward trend in the premium segment. Per capita beer sales remain the lowest in Europe due to ItalyGLYPH<213>s traditions as a wine-drinking country. Despite its position as number three in the mar- ket, Carlsberg Italia maintained its market share with growth for the premium brands Carlsberg and Tuborg in the on and off-trade in line with the companyGLYPH<213>s strategy. The German market is characterised by a num- ber of speciality beers, but the lager segment is by far the most important. Tuborg Pilsner has main- tained its position as GermanyGLYPH<213>s leading internatio- nal brand. Hannen Brauerei is also well repre- sented in the Altbier segment with its two brands Hannen and Gatzweiler - the leading brands in MGLYPH<154>nchengladbach and DGLYPH<159>sseldorf, respectively. Total sales of Hannen Brauerei GmbH showed a considerable increase, but the sales of branded products were not satisfactory and results are below expectations. Carlsberg ItaliaGLYPH<213>s distribution group now inclu- des 45 majority-owned or associated companies. Carlsberg Italia still plans further acquisitions of wholesalers in order to create a strong network of beverage distribution companies at national level in the on-trade segment. The financial results of the company are above expectations. Despite growth in premium beer, canned and im- ported beer, the Swiss beer market again showed a generally declining trend of about 1.3% with to- tal sales amounting to about 4.1m hl. Per capita consumption declined by 1.1 litres to 57 litres. In January 2002, Carlsberg Italia became a 100%-owned subsidiary of Carlsberg Breweries following Carlsberg BreweriesGLYPH<213> acquisition of the remaining 25%-stake. With the relaunch of Cardinal, the number two brand in Switzerland, and the introduction of Carlsberg in the summer of 2001, FeldschlGLYPH<154>ss- chen was able to curb the downward trend in market share for Swiss beer products. The overall market share is now 44%. Since October 2001, the Carlsberg brand has been brewed locally, and in a short time it has gained a good footing in the market, particularly in the important on-trade and in the western, French-speaking part of Switzer- land. The total Portuguese beer market declined by 4% in 2001, mainly due to very bad weather con- ditions. However, Unicer Bebidas de Portugal, in which Carlsberg Breweries holds 44%, maintained and consolidated its leading position with a share of 59% of the Portuguese beer market. The positioning and development of the Carls- berg brand has been satisfactory since the re- launch in 1999, and Carlsberg remains the largest international brand with a market share of 63% of the premium segment. The Tuborg Royal Danish brand is also brewed and distributed by Unicer and experienced a decline due to its heavy de- pendency on the on-trade segment, which saw a decline. The financial results of the company are slightly above the level of last year. The strategic co-operation with Coca-Cola Be- verages Switzerland, Unilever Bestfoods (LiptonGLYPH<213>s Ice Tea) and Schweppes has proved to be a big success, and developments for these brands are markedly above the general market trend for non- alcoholic beverages. During 2001, FeldschlGLYPH<154>sschen has imple- Portugal — Unicer Bebidas de Portugal S.A. Switzerland — FeldschlGLYPH<154>sschen-GetrGLYPH<138>nkegruppe Italy — Carlsberg Italia SpA