35 Regional Reports - Western Europe ving its market share by 1.5 %-points to close on 43%. The Koff Karhu brand achieved particularly strong growth. During 2001, the activities of Coca-Cola Juo- mat OY were fully integrated into Sinebrychoff and, SinebrychoffGLYPH<213>s international activities were transferred to other Group companies as part of the overall Carlsberg Breweries strategy. The financial results were in line with expectations. In a market characterised by structural chan- ges, Carlsberg-Tetley has benefited from stable operating conditions and continues to focus in- vestment on core brands and key operational assets. Core brand volumes increased by 7% and now constitute 73% of total sales. Carlsberg La- ger, Carlsberg Export and TetleyGLYPH<213>s all out-perfor- med the overall trends in their respective catego- ries. Carlsberg Special Brew remains the leading strong beer. Carlsberg-Tetley is the best perform- ing brewery in the take-home sector, where sales of Carlsberg Export have been particularly en- couraging. Carlsberg-Tetley has also been successful in continuing the development of its supply con- tracts. The brewery successfully completed its SAP implementation project. Financial results for the year are significantly ahead of budget although marginally down on last year. Ireland Greenland Iceland The Icelandic market for strong beer, including foreign beer, experienced continued growth and now accounts for half of total beer sales. The Carlsberg brand is marketed by the largest brewery in Iceland, Vifilfell ehf, and handsome growth figures over the past years have strength- ened the position of the brand on the market. In addition, Tuborg, which is brewed by the long- standing partner Egill SkallagrGLYPH<146>msson ehf., is one of the dominant beer brands on the Icelandic market. In Greenland, the Carlsberg and Tuborg brands are sold by the production company Nuuk Imeq, in which Carlsberg Breweries holds a 24% stake. Tuborg and Carlsberg are by far the leading beer brands in the market. Beer sales showed a slightly declining trend throughout the year due to chan- ges in the opening hours of the retail trade. A slight decrease was also registered in soft drink sales. The Irish beer market saw a slight increase again this year. Per capita consumption totalled 155 lit- res and Ireland thus still ranks far above the Euro- pean average. The major part of beer sales takes place in the on-trade, which accounts for about 85% of total sales. Lager remains the most impor- tant segment in the market, although competition from other beverages, such as cider, is intensify- ing. Carlsberg holds a strong position in the lager segment as the brand maintained its position as the third largest lager brand despite intensified competition. Carlsberg is brewed under licence by IrelandGLYPH<213>s largest brewery, Guinness Ireland Li- mited. Rest of Western Europe United Kingdom — Carlsberg-Tetley Plc. Germany — Hannen Brauerei GmbH Despite continued decline, the German market still ranks as EuropeGLYPH<213>s largest, with per capita con- sumption totaling 124 litres. The German beer in- dustry is still characterised by a highly fragmented structure with more than 1,200 breweries and 5,000 brands of mainly regional importance. However, with the entry of more international breweries in this highly competitive market, the long anticipated consolidation finally seems to have begun. In addition, some of the leading Ger- The UK market has again been characterised by continued consolidation and growth of the major pub retailers. On the supply side, competition autho- rities continued to block any major consolidation. The previously observed movement in sales from the on-trade to the take-home sector, from ales to lager and from standard to premium products, con- tinues. Strong national brands continue to grow mar- ket share at the expense of regional and local prod- ucts. Total beer sales in the UK amounted to 56m hl — a decline of 0.6%.