This page contains information on statutory alcohol marketing regulations in Estonia (table 1); a description of the restrictions per medium (table 2); labelling information (table 3); information on non-statutory alcohol marketing regulations (table 4); the complaints procedure; and lastly a summary about the Estonian regulations on alcohol marketing, including exhaustive, downloadable documents from the ELSA & FASE research projects.
Updated March 2022
| Statutory Alcohol marketing regulations in Estonia | Coverage | |
|---|---|---|
 | Reklaamiseadus (Advertising Act) | TV, radio, cinema, sponsoring, internet/digital media, outdoor, print, promotional items |
| Content restrictions: Advertising of alcohol may only include the following concerning the product: 1) name; 2) type; 3) manufacturer's name; 4) trade mark; 5) country of origin; 6) geographical area; 7) ethanol content in per cent by volume; 8) image of sales packaging; 9) properties (colour, aroma, taste); 10) serving suggestion. Information contained in advertising of alcohol must be focused on the product and be presented neutrally. Auditory and visual design of information presented in advertising shall not: 1) contain a living being, a picture or image thereof in any manner, except for human voice; 2) contain an animated image of inanimate objects; 3) incite to buy or consume alcohol; 4) depict the serving or consumption of alcohol; 5) link alcohol to any important dates, events, activities or seasons; 6) otherwise leave an impression that alcohol is a natural part of life and that consumption of alcohol has a positive effect; 7) link alcohol to driving; 8) place emphasis on high ethanol content as being a positive quality of beverages; 9) imitate the voice of well-known persons or characters or the voice of persons or characters known from films, television, music or entertainment programmes or events directed principally at children. Advertising of alcohol is prohibited in television and radio programmes from 7.00 to 22.00. |
||
| Regulations per medium | Type of restrictions |
|---|---|
TV | Content restrictions (Article 28 (3, 4, 5) Advertising Act) |
Radio | Content restrictions (Article 28 (3, 4, 5) Advertising Act) |
Outdoor marketing | Full ban |
Printed media | Content restrictions (Article 28 (3, 4, 5) Advertising Act) Alcohol advertising is banned in printed matter which is directed principally at children or on a page of printed matter where information directed principally at children is published; on the front and back covers of newspapers or magazines or their additional publications. |
Cinema | Content restrictions (Article 28 (3, 4, 5) Advertising Act) |
Internet/digital media | Content restrictions (Article 28 (3, 4, 5) Advertising Act) Alcohol advertising is banned in social media networks, except for on the website and in the social media account of the handler of alcohol. |
Promotional items | The following shall be deemed to be prohibited advertising: 1) distribution of a product or printed matter related to alcohol to children; 2) when offering goods or services for sale or when selling them, the opportunity to get alcohol for free or at a price which is lower than the normal retail price; 3) when buying alcohol, the opportunity to get products or services for free or at a price which is lower than the normal retail price; 4) any consumer game, lottery or competition which is linked in the instructions, description, advertising or elsewhere to an alcoholic beverage or its trade mark; 5) sharing of such information by a handler of alcohol in the social media which has been created by consumers or which contains an incitement to share it. |
| Content restrictions (Article 28 (3, 4, 5) Advertising Act) | |
(Sports) sponsorship | Content restrictions (Article 28 (3, 4, 5) Advertising Act) |
| Table 3 Labelling information | Description | Legally binding (l) or self-regulation (sr) |
|---|---|---|
| Health warnings: | Advertising of alcohol shall include the textual warning: "Tähelepanu! Tegemist on alkoholiga. Alkohol võib kahjustada teie tervist." ["Attention! This is an alcoholic beverage. Alcohol may cause damage to your health."] For the purpose of presenting the textual warning, such font, size and colour shall be used which, given ordinary attention, makes it noticeable, understandable and clearly distinguishable from other information. In printed advertising the health warning shall be presented in black text on white background and the area of the warning, including the background, shall form at least 20 per cent of the total area of the advertising. At the end of television advertising of alcohol, the text contained in subsection (4) of this section shall be displayed as a horizontal text across the screen within a reasonable time and it shall be read out at the same time using the normal speed of speaking. At the end of radio advertising of alcohol, the text contained in subsection (4) of this section shall be read out within a reasonable time using the normal speed of speaking. | Legally binding |
| Ingredients/nutritional information | No |
| Table 4 Non-statutory Alcohol marketing regulations in Estonia | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Õlletootjate eneseregulatsioon i koodeks (Ethics Code of the Estonian Breweries) | TV, radio, cinema, internet/digital media, outdoor, print, promotional items |
Recent news:
https://news.err.ee/1609236408/tanel-kiik-alcohol-lobby-must-not-be-allowed-to-dictate-legislation
https://eucam.info/wp-admin/post.php?post=14143&action=edit
The following document contains an in depth overview of alcohol marketing regulations in Estonia: alcohol-marketing-regulations_estonia.pdf
For even more (but older) information on alcohol marketing regulations in Estonia, please take a look at Estonia’s appendix to the 2007 ELSA (Enforcement of national Laws and Self-regulation on advertising and marketing of Alcohol) report.
For more information on Alcohol Regulations in Estonia contact Mr. Lauri Beekmann, Executive Director, Nordic Alcohol and Drug Policy Network at beekmann@nordan.org