The newly created Independent Pub Confederation (IPC) has called on the government to reform the beer-tie via a five-point action plan.
The organisation wants the government to intervene to ensure "an efficient, fair and free market in the pub sector" and is urging it to:
* Refer the leased pub sector for investigation by the Competition Commission.
* Exempt any landlord with a brewing capacity, and who falls below 1% of the market, from regulatory interference over the tie.
* Remove ties on fruit and quiz machines from agreements.
* Introduce an independent statutory code of practice to uphold the principle that the tied tenant should be no worse off than if free of tie, and to ensure that landlords act in a way which is fair and transparent.
* Revise the rent and rate calculation models- in consultation with lessee representatives to "ensure estimates of profits adequately reflect operating costs".
The IPC said that these proposals were in line with recommendations from this summer's Business & Enterprise Committee's report.
In a statement the IPC said: "The UK Pub Industry is facing an unprecedented crisis. The pubs hardest hit have been traditional community outlets and those pubs run by self-employed lessees of the major national pub owning companies.
"Two thirds of all closures this year have been in the tenanted and leased sector. Most of these lessees are in tied relationships with their landlords.
"Tied lessees are therefore at a significant competitive disadvantage because of the way in which the tie is exploited by the pubco landlords and super-regional brewers to drive higher prices for beer and rents.
"A recent OFT inquiry found that, at best, consumers were 8p a pint worse off visiting tied pubs but this was based on only a partial analysis of the market. The IPC estimate that the price differential is considerably higher than this.
"The IPC believes that the Government now needs to intervene to ensure an efficient, fair and free market in the pub sector."
