Brussels, 17/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - After having sent it a motivated opinion in July 1996, the European Commission could decide this Wednesday 25 July to introduce an appeal before the Court of Justice for France's failure to respect, the Community legislation on the free provision of services concerning advertising in favour of alcoholic drinks. This move follows on from the numerous complaints made by the French wine producing sector, which denounces the "extraterritorial" the Evin law (from January 1991) following the penalties imposed in France by the "Conseil Superieur de l'Audiovisuel" (CSA) to the organisers of sporting events.
This French law bans all televised advertising, direct or indirect, in favour of alcoholic drinks, but a problem of interpretation is present when sporting events take place abroad and are broadcast by French channels. Since 1995, a code of conduct sets out a distinction between the multinational trails, dispensed from respecting the Evin law, and the other events organised abroad, where the French broadcasters is held to have all advertising for French (but not foreign) alcoholic drinks disappear. While unreservedly supporting the aim of protecting public health, the Commission considers that the measures adopted by the CSA for translating into facts and applying the ad hoc national legislation "are disproportionate to the aims pursued".
On Tuesday, during a press conference in Brussels, representatives of the "Conseil interprofessionnel des vins du Languedoc" (CIVL) took up the fight to denounce "inappropriate and disproportionate" interpretation of the Evin law by the CSA, which was again illustrated in May by the obligation of sticking a "censured advertising" label on the teeshirts of the French rugby team (playing in England) to hide the name of the sponsor "Languedoc Wines". In a letter addressed to Commissioner Frits Bolkestein at the end of June, the CIVL President denounced "serious violations of Community law".