WRITTEN QUESTION E-3444/02 by Jorge Moreira Da Silva (PPE-DE) to the Council. Aggressive advertising in the Member States of the European Union.
Date: 2002-12-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, advertising, child protection, competence of the Member States, ethics

C 222 E/72

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

18.9.2003

In addition, the Council would inform the Honourable Member that at its meeting on 19 December 2002
it authorised the Director of Europol to conclude the draft Supplemental Agreement between the United
States of America and Europol on the exchange of personal data and related information and to exchange
the Letters relating to the Supplemental Agreement.

(1) OJ C 88, 30.3.1999, p. 1.

(2003/C 222 E/081)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3444/02

by Jorge Moreira Da Silva (PPE-DE) to the Council

(3 December 2002)

Subject: Aggressive advertising in the Member States of the European Union

In order to attract the attention of the ‘targeted’ public, but without considering the harmful effects on
young people, some businesses do not hesitate to display advertising material containing obscene images
in the streets of European towns. Vulgar posters displayed in public places (at bus-stops, entrances to the
underground, etc) are becoming more and more common each year.

Does this mean that in order to sell products all means are acceptable and everything is allowed?

What ethical standards govern advertising in the various EU Member States?

Reply

(5 and 6 May 2003)

The Council understands the Honourable Member’s anxiety to defend the European public’s interests with
regard to the definition of ethical advertising standards. Nevertheless, advertising ethics fall within the
Member States’ sphere of competence. The Council does not have any information on the standards
applicable in each Member State.

With regard to Community competence and in accordance with Article 153 of the Treaty, and with a view
to consumer protection, the Community ‘shall contribute to protecting the health, safety and economic
interests of consumers, as well as to promoting their right to information, education and to organise
themselves in order to safeguard their interests.’

In any event, the Council cannot act in the absence of a relevant Commission proposal. No such proposal
has been submitted to the Council to date.

(2003/C 222 E/082)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3446/02

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Council

(6 December 2002)

Subject: EU-Russia summit

At the last EU-Russia summit held in Brussels on 11 November last the Council did not, as is usual, use its
own interpreters to translate from Russian into the Community languages what was said by the visitors,
namely the President and delegation from the Russian Federation. Strangely, interpretation from and into
Russian was provided by the visitors’ interpreters. Furthermore, at the press conference held at the end of
the summit, President Putin addressed blatantly racist, offensive and even threatening remarks to an EU
journalist, saying ‘if you want to become an Islamic radical and have yourself circumcised, I invite you to
come to Moscow. We have a multi-denominational country and there are specialists in this field too.
I would recommend that the surgeon ensures that you’ll have nothing growing back afterwards’. None of
this was translated by the Russian interpreters and was not made public in Europe until after it was
reported by the Russian media.