Introduction

In Denmark three different regulations exist that specifically refer to alcohol marketing and advertising: The Order on Advertisement and Sponsorship on the Radio and on Television (the Broadcasting Act), which is statutory; the non-statutory Regulations of Marketing Alcoholic Beverages (The Self Regulation) and the statutory Marketing Practises Act (The Law of Marketing).

The non-statutory Regulations of Marketing Alcoholic Beverages is the main regulation. It was made especially for regulating Alcohol Marketing. It was made in 2000 in a joint venture between the Ministry of Business Affairs, the Ministry of Health and representatives from the alcohol industry as well as consumer organizations and NGOs. It is also called "The Self Regulation" and is enforced by a Committee (the Committee of Enforcement) headed by an independent Chairman.

The Regulations is a volunteer code with no real sanctions attached.
Six years have passed, and while the industry praises the Self Regulation system for its effectiveness, the Consumer Ombudsman, the Consumer organizations and the Danish Alcohol Policy Network criticise it for not being effective. During the past six years 59 complaints have been lodged by the Danish Alcohol Policy Network. The Committee of Enforcement has made 76 decisions. Fifty percent of these violated the articles about children and young people.

By the end of 2005 the Law of Marketing became subject to a review. The review can be seen as a tightening of the Law in relation to alcohol marketing targeted at children and young people. The Minister of Family and Consumer Affairs has referred to specific alcohol marketing practises as some of the reasons for tightening the Law. In this way, tightening the Law of Marketing is meant to compensate for the weaknesses of the Self Regulation, for instance the lack of real sanctions.

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The text is derived from the ELSA project which is completed in 2007, but will be updated soon.