Ad Industry commits to wider EU self-regulation

26 October 2004

May 2004 saw the EU expand from 15 member states to 25; it also saw the advertising industry commit, through the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA), to the development of self-regulation across the expanded EU.

Four of the new member states have self-regulatory organisations (SROs) - Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. EASA is working with another four to extend effective self-regulation - Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, with Malta and Cyprus to follow. As well as broadening its coverage, EASA is also deepening its effectiveness, with initiatives to strengthen existing SROs.

On 25 June 2004 in Brussels, representatives of the advertising business signed a Charter, witnessed by the European Commission, committing the industry to improve self-regulation and to support its extension to the ten new European Member States. A Best Practice model for SROs has been developed and other initiatives include:

• Plans by European agencies to ban non-compliant ads from industry awards.
  
• Advertisers promoting a levy funding system.
  
• Media supporting a Responsibility Pledge to adopt compliance with SRO adjudications in standard contracts
  
• Donated space campaigns to raise the profile of SROs in their countries.
  

The EASA has been conducting roadshows across Europe to promote those initiatives.

For more information on how self-regulation is working on an EU level, visit www.easa-alliance.org.