BECAUSE OF SCHEDULE CHANGE; A B757 FO CONSUMED ALCOHOL WITHIN 12 HRS OF DEP IN VIOLATION OF HIS COMPANY POLICIES. HIS CHIEF PLT AUTH USING THE LESS RESTRICTIVE FAA 8 HR POLICY.

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I WAS ASSIGNED TO A TRIP (11:30 HRS BLOCK TIME) PLANNED FOR OCT/THU/06. I WAS TOLD BY SCHEDULING THAT I WAS TO TRAVEL TO HAHN; GERMANY ON OCT/MON/06. OUR COMPANY PURCHASED A COMMERCIAL TICKET TO EDDF. I CALLED THE SCHEDULING TO CHK MY SCHEDULE AFTER CHK IN AT THE ARPT. AT THAT TIME I WAS INFORMED ABOUT MY WORK SCHEDULE INCLUDING THAT OCT/TUE-WED/06; WOULD BE MY OFF DUTY DAYS. I CALLED SCHEDULING 3 TIMES PRIOR TO MY FLT TO GERMANY TO INFORM ABOUT WX DELAY; I WAS NOT INFORMED ANY SCHEDULE CHANGES. I ARRIVED IN FRANKFURT; GERMANY OCT/TUE/06. I ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL AND CHKED IN TO MY ROOM. I CONSUMED ALCOHOL DURING APPROX HALF HOUR TIME PERIOD. THEREAFTER; ONE OF OUR COMPANY FLT ATTENDANTS MENTIONED TO ME THAT I HAD A TRIP THE NEXT DAY WITH DEP TIME 11 HOURS AFTER CONSUMING ALCOHOL. THIS IS THE FIRST INDICATION I RECEIVED THAT MY SCHEDULE HAD BEEN CHANGED. OUR COMPANY REG (APPROVED BY FAA) IS CLRLY STATED; NO CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL WITHIN THE 12 HRS PRIOR TO OP. WHEN I WAS MADE AWARE THAT I WAS TO BE ON DUTY THE FOLLOWING MORNING; IT WAS ALREADY LESS THAN 12 HRS PRIOR TO THE ASSIGNED FLT. THIS MEANT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MEET OUR COMPANY REG REGARDING ALCOHOL IF I WERE TO FLY THE FOLLOWING MORNING. HAD I BEEN NOTIFIED BY OUR COMPANY SCHEDULING DEPT THAT A CHANGE WAS MADE TO MY SCHEDULE; I WOULD NOT HAVE CONSUMED ALCOHOL. HOWEVER; I WAS IN NO WAY MADE AWARE OF A CHANGE TO MY SCHEDULE UNTIL MY CONVERSATION WITH OUR FLT ATTENDANT SUGGESTED SO. I CALLED SCHEDULING TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE POSSIBLE CHANGE. WHEN I NOTIFIED THEM I HAD CONSUMED ALCOHOL; SCHEDULING STATED THAT THEY HAD NOTIFIED ME PREVIOUSLY REGARDING MY SCHEDULE CHANGE. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. BEFORE I HAD LEFT FOR GERMANY ON OCT/MON/06; I CALLED SCHEDULING AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO CHANGES MADE TO MY SCHEDULE. IN FACT; I CALLED SCHEDULING 3 TIMES REGARDING THE WX DELAY; STILL THERE WAS NO NOTIFICATION THAT ANY CHANGE HAD BEEN MADE TO MY SCHEDULE. THERE WERE NO MESSAGES FOR ME WHEN I CHKED IN TO MY HOTEL; NEITHER AT THE FRONT DESK NOR ON THE ROOM TELEPHONE VOICE MAIL. THERE WAS NO PHONE CONVERSATION; NO EMAIL AND NO MESSAGE; NEITHER WRITTEN; NOR VOICE MAIL; NOR VERBAL; REGARDING A CHANGE TO MY SCHEDULE. SCHEDULING NOTIFIED CHIEF PLT ABOUT THE SITUATION. CHIEF PLT CALLED ME AND I NOTIFIED HIM THAT I CONSUMED ALCOHOL. CHIEF PLT TOLD ME TO FLY THE TRIP ON OCT/WED/06; EVEN THOUGH I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD CONSUMED ALCOHOL. HE TOLD ME THAT OUR COMPANY WOULD WAIVE THE 12 HR ALCOHOL REG AND APPLY THE LESS RESTRICTIVE FAA 8-HR LIMIT. CHIEF PLT STATED I WOULD RECEIVE A FAXED WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM HIM THAT I WAS TO 'WAIVE' THE 12 HR ALCOHOL REG AND IMPLEMENT THE FAA 8 HR LIMIT IN MY CURRENT SITUATION. AT NO TIME IN MY AVIATION CAREER HAVE I EVER CONSUMED ALCOHOL PRIOR TO AN ASSIGNED FLT. CHIEF PLT'S SOLUTION TO OUR COMPANY'S REG OF NO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION 12 HRS PRIOR TO OP; WAS TO 'WAIVE' OUR COMPANY'S FAA APPROVED POLICY TO THE MINIMAL 8 HRS. AFTER CONSIDERING THE MINIMAL AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL I CONSUMED; I BELIEVE 8 HRS WAS ADEQUATE TO OPERATE UNDER NO INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. HOWEVER; I CONSIDER OUR COMPANY POLICY OF 12 HRS TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE.