24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC49/35
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveconcerningcomparativeadvertisingand
amendingDirective84/450/EECconcerningmisleadingadvertising(!)
(92/C49/10)
On15July1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle100AoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforProtectionoftheEnvironment ,PublicHealthandConsumerAffairs,which
wasresponsibleforpreparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon
3December1991.TheRapporteurwasMrBonvicini.
Atits292ndplenarysession(meetingof18December1991),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeadoptedthefollowingOpinionbyamajorityvote,withonevoteagainstand
threeabstentions .
2.Generalcomments
2.1.Astheinternalmarketnearscompletion,aglo­
balapproachcalculatedtoensureoptimumharmoniza­
tionoftherulesgoverningadvertisingbecomesamatter
ofurgency.
2.2.Comparativeadvertisingisasalespromotion
devicethatcomparesproductsorservices.Itcanbea
usefulsourceofinformation,providedthatitisstrictly
regulated.However,itmustbespecifiedattheoutset
thatthemainaimoftheproposalshouldextendbeyond
consumerprotection;therightsofthemanufacturer
whoseproductisbeingcomparedmustberespectedon
equaltermswiththoseoftheconsumer .TheCommitteeapprovestheCommissionproposal,
subjecttothecommentswhichfollow.
1.Precedents
1.1.TheCommissionissuedaproposalforaDirec­
tiveonmisleadingandunfairadvertisingin1978(2).
Article4oftheproposalauthorizedcomparativeadver­
tising.TheCommitteesupportedthis,intheinterests
ofconsumerinformation ,inanOpinionadoptedbya
largemajority(3).TheEuropeanParliamentalso
endorsedit(4).
1.2.However,astheCommission notesinits
explanatorymemorandum ,oppositionfromoneMem­
berStatemeantthattheCouncilcouldnotreachthe
unanimitywhichwasrequiredatthetime(priorto
theadoptionoftheSingleAct).Theprovisionson
comparativeadvertisingandunfairadvertisingwere
thereforedropped,andDirective84/450/EEConmis­
leadingadvertisingwasadopted(5).
1.3.ItisthisDirectivewhichisnowtobeamended,
withtheinsertionofprovisionsoncomparativeadver­
tisingpursuanttoTreatyArticle100A.
1.4.ItshouldbenotedthattheDirectiveisnotyet
fullyimplemented inItalyorBelgiumandthatthis
createsproblems,particularlysincethemonitoring
mechanismslaiddownbyDirective84/450/EECwill
alsoapplytocomparativeadvertising .
1.5.TheCommitteehopesthattherulesonadvertis­
ingwillsoonformpartofabroaderregulatoryframe­
workcoveringunfaircompetition .2.3.Accordingly ,comparativeadvertisingshould
onlybepermittedinsofarasitmeetsthesetwopriority
requirements .
2.3.1.Itisworthemphasizingthatcomparativeref­
erencestoaservice,particularlyservicesprovidedby
theprofessions,mustconcernthecharacteristics ofthe
serviceitselfandnottheintellectualqualitiesofthe
personprovidingtheservice;thesequalitiesmaynot
formthesubjectofsuchcomparisons .
2.4.Withthecontinuedexpansionofmeansofcom­
munication,advertisinghascometoextendbeyond
nationalfrontiers.Theincreasedsupplyanddemand
triggeredbytheopening-upofborderswillmean
greateruseofadvertisingforproductpromotion .
I1)OJNoC180,11.7.1991,p.4.
:2)OJNoC70,21.3.1978.
;3)OJNoC171,9.7.1979,p.41.
I4)OJNoC140,5.6.1979.
:5)OJNoL250,19.9.1984,p.17.2.5.Hencetheneedforprovisionsandmeansof
controltopreventunfairadvertising,andtoensurethat
advertisingisaneffectiveinformationinstrumentand
stimulatescompetition .

NoC49/36 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 24.2.92
bodytoissueanOpinionontheconformityofthe
messageandthesupportingdocumentation totherel­
evantcodeofpractice.
2.11.Thestatementsmadeintheadvertisingmess­
ageshouldtherefore,aboveall,beobjectivelytrue,
clearandfair.
2.12.Satisfactionoftheserequirementsmustbesup­
portedbydocumentaryproofthatpainstakingresearch
hasbeencarriedout,guaranteeingthatthemessageis
issuedcorrectly.
2.13.InordertoavoidinfringementofDirective89/
104/EEConprotectionoftheuseofatrademark
ortradename,stepsmustbetakentoensurethat
comparativeadvertisingdoesnotmakedistorteduseof
thereputationofanotherproducttopromoteimitation
products.Thiswouldruncountertotheobligationto
complywiththeprincipleoffair,clearandaccurate
informationasmentionedabove.
2.14.Lastly,theCommitteedrawsattentiontothe
specialnatureofmail-ordersales,andrecommends
thatthecasebeconsideredforintroducingspecific
provisionsforthisarea.2.6.Thesemeansofcontrolmustbesubjecttopre­
ciserules,inordertoguaranteethattheadvertising
messageisreliableandthusmeetstheabovementioned
twofoldrequirementtoinformandtostimulatecompe­
titionwithoutdistortingit.
2.7.Inevitably,therulesoncomparativeadvertising
mustconformwiththespecificprovisionsobtainingin
areas[suchasmedicines(!)andtobaccoproducts(2),
oradvertisingaimedatchildren]whereadvertising
isparticularlytightlyregulatedandspecificbansare
applied.However,suchconsiderations shouldfollow
logicallyfromthegeneralrulesandwillmerelyinvolve
sectoraladjustmentsmutatismutandisi.e.limitedto
theparticularareaunderconsideration .
2.7.1.Inthecaseofprescriptiondrugsandmedical
servicesinparticular,thebanonadvertisingtothe
generalpublicobviouslyalsoappliestocomparative
advertising .Thisshouldalsobethecasewithadvertis­
ingaimedathealthprofessionals ;inthisarea,compari­
sonisunnecessarybecausethedoctorwillselectthe
appropriatedrugonthebasisofhistechnicaland
scientificexpertise .
2.7.2.Itisalsoevidentthattherulesoncomparative
advertisingdonotcallintoquestiontheCommunity
DirectivesandRegulationslayingdowntheconditions
forgrantingregisteredtrademarksanddesignationsof
origin(seepoint3.3below).
2.8.Thedraftingofaself-regulatory codeofpractice
andethicscouldbeextremelyhelpfultoensurerespect
fortheprinciplethattheadvertisingmessageshould
beinformative .Suchacodecouldbeprovidedbya
sufficientlyrepresentative bodythatcouldguarantee
controlofthecontentofthemessageandassessits
conformitywiththecode.AnEECRegulationshould
setoutapriorframeworkforthiscodeofpractice.The
InternationalChamberofCommercehasexperienceof
suchmattersandcouldplayausefulpartinthework.
2.9.Tothisend,therecouldbeacaseforsetting
upvoluntarybodiesatnationallevel,representingthe
variousinterestsinvolved,toactasguarantorboththat
themessageisproperlyintroducedontothemarketand
thatitsaccuracycanbeverifiedbytheconsumerandthe
competitor .SuchbodiesalreadyexistinsomeMember
States,andtheCommunitycoulddrawontheirexperi­
ence.3.Specificcomments
3.1.InArticle1(2)amendingArticle2oftheoriginal
Directive,itmightbebesttodeletethewords'by
implication'astheyarenotinkeepingwiththegeneral
principlethatadvertisements shouldbetotallyfairand
clearandthespecificprinciplethatinsinuationshould
bestrictlybanned.
3.2.IntheCommittee'sview,comparativeadvertis­
ingmustonlybeallowedifthereferencesmadeare
explicitandrespecttheprinciplesmentionedabove.
3.3.Inordertopreventthepromotionofimitation
orcounterfeitproductswhichrefertoanestablished
trademarkortradename,theCommitteeproposes
thatthefollowingadditionbemadetothenew
Article3a(l)(b):'Comparisonmustnotpresentgoods
orservicesasimitationsorreplicasofgoodsandser­
viceswhicharealreadyprotectedbyregisteredtrade
marks,tradenamesand/ordesignationsoforigin.'
3.4.WithreferencetoArticle3a(l)(c),theCom­
mitteeconsidersthatthepresentationofaproductor
serviceasanimitationorreplicaofanotherissimply
anunfairenticementtotheconsumerwhichseeksto
exploitthereputationofanotherproductwhilere­
cognizingtheinferiornatureoftheproductbeingadver­
tised.Suchpresentationshouldbebanned,asitdoes
notrespecttheprincipleofconsumerprotection (the
consumerwouldbemisled)norofprotectionofthe
productbeingcompared.2.10.Ifasupervisorybodytorepresentthevarious
interestsinvolvedweresetup,itwouldsufficeforthis
(')ProposalforaCouncilDirectiveonadvertisingofmedicinal
productsforhumanuse;OJNoC163,4.7.1990.
(2)AmendedproposalforaCouncilDirectiveonadvertisingfor
tobaccoproducts,OJNoC167,27.6.1991.

24.2.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC49/37
3.5.ThenewArticle3a(2)referstotheresultsof
comparativetestscarriedoutbythirdparties.Itshould
bespecifiedherethattheresultsofthecomparative
tests—regardlessofwhocarriedthemout—mayonly
bementionedorreproducedintheadvertisement if
theyarerelevantlydocumentedandtheaccuracyofthe
messagecanbereadilyverifiedfromthatdocumenta­
tion.
3.6.Itisquiteclearthat,exceptwhereathirdparty
sharesresponsibilityforanyfraud,thepersonmaking
useofthetestfindingsmustbefullyanswerableinall
respectsfortheiraccuracy.
3.7.Theuseofcomparativetestsasanadvertising
devicemustbesubjecttocertainprinciples,andas
transparentaspossible,withindicationofsources,in
ordertopreventdistorteduseandtosafeguardthe
distinctionbetweenthetwotypesofadvertisingmess­
age.ThisaimisfurtheredbytheCommission'spro­
posal[Art.3a(2)]thattheuseofcomparativetestson
goodsorservicescarriedoutbythirdpartiesshould
onlybepermittedwiththeexpressconsentoftheperson
orbodywhocarriedoutthetest.IntheCommittee's
view,thiscollaboration isofdirectrelevancetothe
relationsbetweenthetesterandtheadvertiser,asregardstheirrelativeresponsibilities ifthetestisinac­
curate.Atallevents,itistheuserwhowillbeanswer­
ableforthemessage,withoutprejudicetohisrightfor
redressagainstthirdparties.
3.8.Itshouldalsobespecifiedthattheprincipleof
'objectivetruth'underpinningthewordinganduseof
themessageimpliesthattheinformationisfullyupto
dateatthetimethemessageisissued.
3.9.Itisalsoobviousthat,sinceadvertisingcannot
beconsideredthesoleinstrumentofconsumerinfor­
mation,rigorousandanalytical (butstillgeneral)rules
mustundernocircumstances replaceotherinstruments
ofinformation (labellingandcomparativetests)which
willremaininexistence.Thegeneralprovisionswill
simplycomplementthemorespecialistones.
3.10.Inconclusion,anycodeofpracticeshould
requireabsoluterespectoftheprinciplethattheinfor­
mationsuppliedisethical,objectivelytrueandupto
date,andthatitiswordedinafair,clearandaccurate
manner.
3.11.Tothisend,theCommitteerecommendspro­
visioninthecodeandinArticle3a(l)(c)forabanon
recoursetoinnuendo(oranywordingwhichcouldbe
construedasinnuendo),impliedcomparisons ,shock
tactics,orgratuitousinsinuation .
DoneatBrussels,18December1991.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
FrancoisSTAEDELIN