France may allow online alcohol ads

Posted by Alexandra Zeumer on October 29, 2008 at 6:08 PM

French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot may permit alcohol advertising on the Internet, telling Le Figaro she is willing to “consider” it, FollowtheMedia reported.

The Health Ministry is currently writing legislation to amend the Evin laws, which control advertising in the country.

The new legislation proposal states it would not allow alcohol ads on sports sites along or sites targeted towards young people, and would also ban alcohol pop-up ads. The proposal also states mandatory health warnings about alcohol must be in place, and be “clearly visible” and “adapted to the Internet,” FollowtheMedia reported.

“This is a political message which has the merit of recognising the specificities of the Internet, namely a medium that knows no borders,” Pierre Levy, corporate affairs director of ad agency Ogilvy, told Les Echos, FollowtheMedia reported. “This relaxation is primarily intended for producers of wines and spirits in difficulty.”