Introduction

Norway has one statutory law with regulations: The Alcohol Act, Chapter 9 "Prohibition against advertising of alcoholic beverages" and the supplementary Regulations in Chapter 14. This is a statutory law administrated by the Ministry of Health and Care Services. The Directorate for Health and Social Affairs supervises and imposes sanctions when the laws and regulations have been violated.

Complaints and evaluations regarding the law and regulations may take place when there is a hearing regarding the law and the regulations.
Norway has no marketing practices of alcohol because of prohibition against advertising of alcoholic beverages in Norway. Non alcohol marketing practises have been presented for Pre-launch-advice. (Low/non-alcoholic products (less than 2,5% alc) have been presented for a pre launch-advice).

Complaints about advertisements can be filed by anyone (citizens and
organisations etc) to the Directorate for Health and Social Affairs. There has generally been a rise in the amount of complaints during the last six years. Usually The Directorate for Health and Social Affairs requests the illegal marketing to cease. However, if the illegal marketing continues sanctions will be imposed. The size and character of the sanctions will vary from case to case, and depends on the income of the business.

The changes in the law and regulations during the last five years have taken place in order to clarify the regulations and to include further details and to specify the law. The most important change in the law has been that the Directorate for Health and Social Affairs, which is responsible for the supervision, is able to give overrun penalties when the national law has been violated (a specific fine is decided but it will not be brought into effect unless the violation is repeated).

Another change is how the Directorate is able to instruct the violator to remove the illegal marketing and to impose sanctions. This has made it easier to enforce the law and its regulations.

See complete country report Norway (63,8 kB)

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