Romania: BRAU UNION ROM�NIA has decided to continue the strategic consolidation programme, started last year. The consolidation programme is meant to insure the right balance between production capacity and market demands and also to lead to increased costs efficiency, on a market where the competition is getting fiercer year by year, BRAU UNION has recently announced. Furthermore, the plan is intended to ensure a coherent and efficient regional coverage and to preserve the high quality standards of the products.

The programme involves transferring production from Arad to Hateg brewery. By this strategic re-organization, the production in Arad will stop the latest at the end of November 2004, while the warehouse and sales facilities will be kept operational.

Acknowledging the necessity of continuing the company�s consolidation programme, the local trade union has negotiated and agreed with the management of the company upon the compensatory package for the 170 employees from Arad, affected by the re-organisation. In parallel, a complex consultancy and professional assistance programme will be developed. Within the consultancy programme, employees will be provided with training courses on how to prepare for a new job or how to look for a new job and also on how to start up own business.