Brewers of Europe committed to advertising self-regulation
In an effort to stave off a ban on advertising, Europe’s brewers are relying on self-regulation. Whether it helps in the long-run remains to be seen.
At least, the mighty European Commission appears to be pleased with the brewers’ efforts. Robert Madelin, Director General, European Commission states in the report’s foreword: “The brewers have worked consistently and in consultation with the European Advertising Standards Alliance to deliver effective and credible self-regulation with progressively broader European coverage.”
Pierre-Olivier Bergeron, Secretary General at The Brewers of Europe, said: “In 2007, Europe’s brewers made a commitment on self-regulation to the EU Alcohol & Health Forum. Today we see that Europe’s brewers have kept their promise: this independently-verified report illustrates the unprecedented efforts and substantial progress made by the European brewing sector, to ensure responsible beer advertising across Europe through self-regulation. This confirms our strong belief that advertising self-regulation is a sustainable complement to legislation.”
At the end of May 2010, the WHO adopted a global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol. The Brewers of Europe said that they are happy to see that the WHO recognises a role for advertising self-regulation.
Even before the WHO’s World Health Assembly 2010, Europe’s brewers had advertising self-regulation codes in place, but wished to ensure that they were all operating within credible and effective advertising self-regulation systems.
The brewers took the European Commission’s comprehensive best practice model and developed seven Operational Standards for the enhancement of advertising self-regulation systems and responsible beer communications in all of the European countries.
The report argues that steps forward have been taken. For example,
- Self-regulation systems were set up in countries where they did not exist before;
- 10 countries improved their complaints handling systems through further incorporation of independent elements;
- Consumer awareness of advertising self-regulation systems was increased in 24 out of 27 countries;
- 26 countries have a complaints handling system in place with effective sanctions.
Obviously, self-regulation is a work in progress. But Europe’s brewers consider it a small victory that the European Union and other policymaking bodies have recognised that self-regulation is an important and valid complementary regulatory option.
Nonetheless, The Brewers of Europe want to go further. They are committed to strengthening the self-regulation in place and adapting it to changing societal and cultural expectations as well as to the evolving media landscape, where online communication and social media are increasingly dominant and require attention.
