Żywiec among those who might enter joint venture with Brau Union

Austrian beer and soft-drinks producer BBAG, which owns the fourth largest domestic brewer Brau Union, will choose companies by the end of June willing to set up a joint venture aiming at strengthening its position in Europe. The invitation has been accepted by European and international leaders in beer production like, Heineken and SABMiller, which own Żywiec and Kompania Piwowarska in Poland respectively. "We admit that our company is looking for a strategic investor," said Brau Union spokeswoman Justyna Piszczek. The company's market share in Poland dropped from 7% to 5% over the last two years. (Rzeczpospolita, April 19-21, p. B4) M.M.