How to sell alcohol? Nordic alcohol monopolies in a changing epoch

NORDIC STUDIES ON ALCOHOL AND DRUGS VOL . 25 . 2008 . 2 Introduction Since the early 1980s, national regulation of markets in Europe has been transformed. Noticeable among the changes have been the privatization of state industries, new rules ending monopolies and an increased role for the EU (Thatcher 2002; Smith 2005). For example, monopolies on telecommunication, transport, energy, television broadcasting and postal services have been put in question or dissolved, in line with the liberalization measures taken by the European Commission and the Council to open up these sectors to competition and harmonization (Blum & Louge 1998). The growth of the EU internal market has resulted in collisions with other policies, both at the EU level and nationally (Hine & Kassim 1998). The development has made it more difficult, for example, to maintain effective national regulation in the public health arena (Holder et al. 1998). The participation of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden in the European Economic Area (EEA) since January, 1994, and the membership of Finland and Sweden in the EU Jenny Cisneros Örnberg Hildigunnur ÓlafsdÓttir