1. The ASAI is a founder member of the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA). EASA is a nonprofit organisation based in Brussels which brings together 30 national European and non-European advertising self-regulatory organisations (SROs) and 15 organisations representing the advertising industry in Europe – advertisers, agencies and various forms of media, including television, radio, press and outdoor poster advertising.
2. EASA is the single authoritative voice of advertising self-regulation whose mission is to promote responsible advertising through best practice in self-regulation across the European Union for the benefit of consumers and business. EASA’s objectives are to promote, support and extend self-regulation, develop best practice, handle cross-border complaints and provide information and research.
Promoting Self-Regulation
3. EASA is committed to extending effective advertising self-regulation across the European Union. In June 2004, all EASA’s industry members signed a Self- Regulatory Charter in front of members of the European Commission, committing the advertising industry to increased moral and financial support for self-regulatory systems across Europe. The Charter outlines 10 concrete commitments related to SRO codes and operations as well as geographical and media coverage and consumer awareness. Since then, EASA has worked to implement these commitments across the European Union and especially to set up and train advertising self-regulatory systems in the new Member States.
Cross Border Complaints
4. EASA supervises the operation of the Cross-Border
Complaints System, details of which are set out here
5. In addition, EASA is an active member of the Rogue Trader Prevention Taskforce, which implements strategies to combat advertising scams across Europe. As such, EASA works closely with national authorities to share information and consolidate efforts to tackle rogue trader activity.
EU Leglislation
6. For advertising self-regulation to maintain and further develop its role in ensuring consumer protection, it must be accepted and recognised by Member States as complementary to existing legislation. EASA works closely with the European Commission and Parliament to ensure that new legislation affecting the advertising industry provides scope for and gives recognition to self-regulation. EASA is particularly active in consultation with the Commission and Parliament on the revision of the Television without Frontiers Directive. EASA, along with NGOs and European Commission representatives, participated in three dedicated advertising roundtables with the European Commission Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General, chaired by Robert Madelin, Director-General, in late 2005/early 2006. The roundtables explored the existing and potential benefits of advertising self-regulation and a report on the issue was released by the Director-General in July 2006.
Expertise
7. As the single authoritative voice of advertising selfregulation in Europe,EASA provides expertise to EU and international bodies, including the WHO, OECD and UNEP. EASA is also an active member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), on whose global code of advertising all SRO codes are based, and currently co-chairs the ICC taskforce on code revision and consolidation.
8. For further information on EASA and European advertising self-regulation, visit the EASA website or e-mail[email protected]. Address:
Rue des Deux Eglises 26/Tweekerkenstraat 26,
B-1000 Brussels
Belgium.
Tel: +32 (0) 2513 7806.
Fax: +32 (0) 2513 2861.