De Telegraaf, the Amsterdam daily, continues to claim the highest circulation in the Netherlands during the last quarter of 2007. However, the paper experienced a drop in daily circulation in the fourth quarter, to 703,000 from 738, 000 copies a day, compared with the previous quarter, Thomson Financial News reported Tuesday.

In the fourth quarter of De Telegraaf's circulation, it expanded slightly, from the 699,000 papers circulated compared with the same period in 2006, according to HOI figures.

The paid paper, Ad Newspaper, owned by the unlisted AD Nieuwsmedia B.V., came in second place in the market with 477,000 papers circulated, down from 480,000 during the same period in 2006.

The newspaper De Volkskrant has held a steady circulation at about 269,000 quarter-on-quarter, although it lost ground on an annual basis at 287,000 copies, Thomson reported.

Metro, one of the four free daily newspapers in the Netherlands, had a high circulation of 539,000, beating its rival, Spits, with a circulation of 452,000. The free daily De Pers had a circulation of 491,000 within the fourth quarter, according to Newspaper Innovation.