WRITTEN QUESTION No. 520/99 by Rainer WIELAND Planned prohibition of the advertising of such products as alcohol, sweets, military toys and fast cars
C 325/120 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 12. 11. 1999 (1999/C 325/167) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0520/99 by Rainer Wieland (PPE) to the Commission (8 March 1999) Subject: Planned prohibition of the advertising of such products as alcohol, sweets, military toys and fast cars According to the Economics Minister of the Land of Baden-Württemberg, Dr Walter Döring, the Commission is planning further restrictions on advertising (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, 30 January 1999; Mannheimer Morgen, 30 January 1999; Esslinger Zeitung, 30 January 1999). Further to my question No E-3149/98 of 16 October 1998 (1) can the Commission say: 1. 2. Is it true that the Commission is considering prohibiting or restricting the advertising of such products as alcohol, sweets, military toys and fast cars? If so, what form do these deliberations take, on what legal basis are they to be placed, bearing subsidiarity in mind, and what justifies this proposal, which would threaten economic freedom and merely endanger jobs? Such prohibitions and restrictions of advertising also result in a threat to the freedom of expression, make it difficult for the consumer to form an opinion and obstruct competition among undertakings in the internal market. (1) OJ C 96, 8. 4. 1999, p. 162. Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (26 April 1999) The Honourable Member requests information regarding German press reports alleging that the Economics Minister of the Land of Baden-Württemberg stated that the Commission was planning further restrictions on advertising on products such as alcohol, sweets, military toys and fast cars. As regards the issue of fast cars, the Commission would wish to refer the Honourable Member to its previous answer to Written Question P-2587/98 by Mr von Habsburg (1) which addressed this issue. As regards the advertising of alcohol, sweets and military toys the Commission wishes to inform the Honourable Member that it has no plans to impose further restrictions in these fields. The Commission’s policy in the field of commercial communications in general was clearly set out in its communication on the follow- up to the green paper on commercial communications in the internal market of 4 March 1998 (2). Amongst other measures this established a central contact point in DGXV (tel: Brussels 2951639, Fax 2957712 email comcom@dg15. cec. be) to inform interested parties of the Commission’s actions in these fields. The Commission can inform the Honourable Member that certain Member States have strict advertising restrictions on the products cited and that some of these restrictions to cross-border trade in commercial communication services are the subject of complaints contesting the compatibility with Articles 59 and 30 of the EC Treaty of these restrictions to cross-border services. These are being processed by the Commission at the current time. (1) OJ C 96, 8. 4. 1999. (2) COM(98) 121 final