Introduction

In Germany three different regulations exist that specifically refer to
alcohol marketing and advertising. The 'Jugendschutzgesetz' and the 'Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag', which are both statutory, and the non-statutory 'Code of Conduct on Commercial Communication for Alcoholic Beverages'. Regarding advertising, the 'Jugendschutzgesetz' only deals with the broadcast time of commercials in movie performances and not with the content of commercials. The elements of the Council Recommendation are reflected in the 'Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag' in a very general form. § 6 (5) says that "Advertising for alcoholic beverages must neither be directed towards children and adolescents nor be designed to appeal especially to children and adolescents nor show them drinking alcoholic beverages." The 'Code of Conduct' is in practice the main regulation of alcohol marketing and advertising in Germany and the way in which the elements of the Council Recommendation are reflected in German regulation in detail. The text of it is designed by the advertising and alcohol industry. The German Advertising Council, a self-regulatory agency of the German Advertising Federation, is responsible for the complaint and sanctioning system.

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