SWEDEN'S DRINK LAWS ARE RULED INTOLERABLE

SWEDISH drinkers are raising a glass to toast the European Union, following
its refusal yesterday to drop demands to ease the Scandinavian country's
draconian laws.

Every Friday evening, thousands throughout the country queue for up to an
hour at State-owned Systembolaget alcohol stores to buy supplies for the
weekend.

Inside, bottles of alcohol remain tantalisingly out of reach inside locked
glass cabinets. Each is numbered. Customers give the numbers to staff, who
get the drink from the back of the store.

`The whole thing has the atmosphere of a chemist's shop. It is ridiculous
to treat adults in this fashion in this day and age,' said one, who has
waited in line.

Currently, the Swedes are blocked from filling the gap from abroad, because
they legally can only bring back one litre of spirits, five litres of wine
and 15 litres of beer.

Fearful of an upsurge in alcoholism, the Swedish government demanded the
State control of alcohol sales and the import restrictions when they joined
the EU in 1995.

However, the derogation runs out on June 30. Regarding it as a restriction
on trade and state `nannying', the European Commission has refused to let
it be renewed for five more years as Sweden sought.

Instead, EU Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein wants the import
limits to rise to 10 litres of spirits, 90 litres of wine, 110 litres of
beer.

Yesterday, he met with Swedish prime minister Goeran Persson in Stockholm:
`I have not been convinced by the arguments of the government,' he said
later.

The issue has done wonders for the popularity of the European Commission
with the average Swede, who has bombarded its Stockholm office with
favourable letters and e-mails.

Despite Mr Bolkestein's tough stand, the issue is not over yet, as the
Swedish government intends to continue pressing for an extension right up
to the very last minute.

Desperate for a deal, Stockholm has offered a number of compromises,
including a short renewal, and the continuation of the State monopoly on
spirit sales.

The reasons for the stiff State controls go back into history. Late in the
last century, industrialisation and cheap alcohol produced endemic
alcoholism.

In the 1920s, the Swedes narrowly defeated a call to follow the American
prohibition example in a referendum, though drink was actually rationed
until 1955.

Alcohol sales, curbed by outrageous prices, are the lowest in Europe.
Accident figures are lower also.

However, there is a booming trade in illegally-produced spirits - some of
which would do justice to the worst paint-stripper.