Self-regulation in the marketing of alcoholic drinks is working in the UK industry, says the European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD) - even though compliance levels fell from 98.7% to 93.6%.

According to its 2006 Advertising Compliance Report, the average compliance figure for the 13 European countries involved in the report was 96%, with Britain ranked 11th while Ireland and Portugal achieved the highest rate, at 99.5%.

However, the UK is by far the largest advertising market surveyed, with a total of 1,483 ads.

The EFRD report attributes the fall in compliance levels to the UK code being tightened up in October 2005.

It also points out that three campaigns alone accounted for more than 50 of the non-compliant ads. These are believed to be for a cognac, a whisky and for a pre-mixed drink.

If these were discounted, the report said, the compliance was the same as in previous years.

"These results show the efficiency of the self-regulatory approach," said EFRD chairman, Alan Butler.

"Overall industry compliance has been high for two years running and this shows the industry takes its social responsibility obligations seriously."

The total number of adverts for the 13 countries stayed the same as the previous year but there were shifts with wine increasing from 18% of ads to 24%.

Beer remained the largest advertiser with 44% of ads, followed by spirits at 27%, premixed drinks with 4% and cider with 1%.

Alcohol Focus Scotland said the report raised several questions. "We note the high volume of advertising in the UK and Germany and would be interested to know why this is so," said chief executive Jack Law.

"It is also worrying that there is a high level of non-compliance around social/sexual issues. This merits further explanation to find out if this issue is more typical of certain products."

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