Greeks not playing ball over ad ban

Date: 20/03/1997

By Leyla Linton

THE European Commission is set to warn Athens that it faces the risk of legal action over its ban on screening television advertisements for toys before 10pm.

The Commission argues that the ban infringes the EU's Television Without Frontiers Directive as well as breaching Union single market rules.

A spokesman for Audio-visual Commissioner Marcelino Oreja said the Greek government had failed to answer a first letter sent by the Commission last September. “We will send a 'reasoned opinion' if we do not receive a reply from the Greeks in a few days. If we do not get an agreement, we will go to the European Court of Justice,” he said.

Athens says the law, passed in 1994, is designed to protect children and their parents from pressure to buy toys they cannot afford. But the drop in advertising revenue caused by the ban has hit broadcasters hard and prompted fears that the production of quality European children's programmes might be threatened.

Greece is also facing separate infringement proceedings for breaching single market rules. “There are other ways to protect children,” said a spokeswoman for Internal Market Commissioner Mario Monti.

His officials have taken the first step by sending a formal letter to Athens, which has two months to respond. But there are few signs that Greece will back down. “It is not automatic that we would capitulate. Nobody here would be rushed into giving a reply,” said one official.

Supporters of the advertising ban say it is not a protectionist measure as it applies to domestic firms as well and does not prevent foreign companies from setting up their own retail outlets in Greece.

Foreign toymakers point to their declining sales in Greece since it came into force as clear evidence that the ban is a barrier to trade. Figures show a drop in sales of advertised brands of traditional toys of up to 40&percent;.