New EU Advertising Regs Eye Change In Car Buying Habits

Brussels, Belgium (AHN) - The European Union is set to regulate vehicle advertising across the 27-member bloc, particularly on gas guzzling models. German auto manufacturers and media companies, however, warn of the dangers of stringent guidelines on the two industries.

The planned car advertising restriction follows recent impositions made by the EU on nicotine, alcohol and food advertising. On April, the EU also initiated steps to forbid some dangerous video games by using the Pan European Games Information, an age-rating system.

But even within the EU, the commissioners themselves are reluctant to shift to more environment-friendly cars. The only exception, it appears, is Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas, who drives a Japanese hybrid.

In defense of their vehicle preference, an EU commissioner, quoted by Spiegel Online, explained, "We commissioners travel a lot and we need large, comfortable and fast cars."

Under the planned regulation, data on gas mileage and carbon dioxide emissions would be highlighted in all vehicle advertising. The aim of the advertising regulation is to "rebuild society" and "change habits in consumption and production" in the auto industry, Spiegel quoted from the EU strategy document.

The EU's inclination toward classifying a wide range of consumer products as good or bad for EU citizens has caught the ire of some academics. Wernhard Moschel, a law professor at Germany's University of Tubingen, said that the EU treats consumers "as a pathological idiot in need of supervision, as someone who can't tell the difference between red and white wine."

Holger Krahmer, a liberal European Parliament member, described the bloc's regulation regime as "moral terrorism."