It is a question of striking a balance between all of the different member states British advertisers' spokesman This has been prompted, to a certain extent, by the growth of satellite television and internet advertising, which defies attempts by individual member states to effectively regulate it. Country of origin' The UK, which has one of the more liberal regimes, has lobbied in favour of the 'country of origin' principle, where ads are governed by the laws of the country they were created in. Advertising is worth billions of pounds to the economy and the UK industry is widely seen as a world leader. However, ISBA has recognised the need to bring the rest of Europe into the fold. We don't want to go to one extreme or another.
Nobody is more aware of the power of advertising than Europe's politicians.
The UK government, which last year rivalled the tobacco industry in the amount it spent on advertising, has made the banning of cigarette marketing a point of principle. But Thursday's decision by the European Court, which was the result of a campaign by just two member states, Germany and Austria, is a sign that its quest could prove an impossible one. Xbox launch EU finance ministers in crisis talks Links to more Business stories are at the foot of the page.