A probe that coincided with the final stage of the Euros soccer championship finds that companies have been infringing the promoting code.
Portugal’s Directorate-Normal for Shopper Affairs (DGC) on Wednesday introduced its intention to wonderful three corporations for utilizing the nationwide flag to promote alcohol.
The companies in query, who have been in breach of the promoting code, could face fines between €2,493.98 and €24,939.89.
Throughout an investigation carried out between 8 and 15 July, a interval that coincided with the final spherical of the Euros soccer competitors, the DGC analysed 232 adverts for alcohol.
These adverts have been printed on 53 web sites and social networks, together with Fb and Instagram, and a complete of 20 corporations have been surveyed.
The DGC additionally confused that these particular infringements solely associated to social media advertising, and to not extra conventional types of promoting.
As in lots of European international locations, Portugal has particular guidelines surrounding the promotion of alcohol.
It’s forbidden for advertisers to affiliate alcoholic drinks with nationwide symbols such because the Portuguese flag.
One other rule bans the promotion of alcohol on radio and TV between the hours of 7am and 10.30pm, and it’s forbidden to focus on minors with any such promoting.
On this final level, the DGC added an additional warning on Wednesday.
“Because of the lack of restrictions within the laws relating to the occasions at which promoting for alcoholic drinks is broadcast on digital media, it’s not potential to forestall promoting from being introduced indiscriminately to minors.”
It’s not but clear if the federal government will take concrete steps to sort out this legislative hole.
The latest investigations aren’t the primary time that the Portuguese authorities has punished corporations for utilizing nationwide symbols to advertise alcohol.
In 2023, two related offences sparked state disciplinary procedures, though these circumstances haven’t but been closed.
