Ireland

This page contains information on statutory alcohol marketing
regulations in Ireland (table 1); a description of the restrictions per medium (table 2); labelling information (table 3); information on self-regulations on alcohol marketing regulations (table 4); the complaints procedure; a summary about the Irish regulations on alcohol marketing and exhaustive, downloadable documents from the ELSA & FASE research projects.

Show more about the complaints procedure in this country>>

Click here to show more detailed information about the alcohol marketing regulations in this country and the very recent developments (updated December 2018).

Advertising in Ireland is regulated through both statutory codes and through industry self-regulatory codes. Broadcasting is regulated by the statutory body the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC). The BCC was founded in 1976 to receive and adjudicate on complaints about material broadcast, both programmes and advertisements.

The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI) is the self-regulatory body for the advertising industry, it provides pre-vetting service to the industry and its Complaints Committee adjudicates on complaints made about individual advertisements. The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland have codes that govern commercial marketing communication and sales promotions (see table 4). Section 9 of the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland Code of Standards for Advertising, Promotional and Direct Marketing in Ireland (7th edition, 2016) deals with alcoholic drinks (see also the ASAI Guidance note). Section 18 deals with online advertising.

The MEAS Code of Practice, published by the social aspects organisation of the Irish drinks industry, concentrates on the naming, packaging and promotion of alcoholic drinks.

Central Copy Clearance Ireland Ltd was established in February 2003 as an independent organisation to provide a pre-vetting service for all advertising of alcoholic drinks in Ireland. CCCI ensures that no media outlet in Ireland will accept any advertising for any alcoholic drinks brand unless it carries a copy clearance number from CCCI. CCCI is funded by members of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) – which represents brewers, distillers, distributors and retailers of alcoholic products. The day-to-day running of the organisation is the joint responsibility of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland (IAPI) – which represents the advertising agencies – and the Association of Advertisers in Ireland (AAI) – which represents major advertisers.

In January 2006, a new Monitoring Body was established by the Minister for Health and Children. The body oversees the implementation of and adherence to the Voluntary Codes of Practice agreed between the Department of Health and Children and representatives of the advertising, drinks and media communications industries. The Alcohol Advertising Monitoring Body is made up of representatives from four key groups; the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health and Children; the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland; the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland and the Advertising Standards Authority.

The Monitoring Body will have access to and will review data from the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland, Central Copy Clearance Ireland, AC Nielson, Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR), Irish Film Censor Reports (cinema). In addition, the Body can commission independent research across all media to assess adherence to the Code. This research will be funded by the Department of Health and Children.

Currently (2018), new legislation is proposed. See here which measures has been commenced and what is outstanding:

http://alcoholireland.ie/what-is-the-public-health-alcohol-bill/

Table 1	Statutory Alcohol marketing regulations in Ireland	Coverage
	General Commercial Communications Code	TV and radio (draft code)
	Children's Commercial Communications Code	Commercial communications (deals with broadcast media only, via radio and TV) that promote products, services, or activities that are deemed to be of particular interest to children and/or broadcast during and between children’s programmes i.e. children’s commercial communications. However, alcohol marketing is not specifically mentioned in this Code.
	S.I. No. 258/2010 - European Communities (Audiovisual Media Services) Regulations 2010	Audiovisual commercial communications

Table 2 Statutory regulations per medium	Type of restrictions
TV	Youth protection policy (Article 7 (d) Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2010)
TV	Content restrictions: shall not encourage immoderate consumption of such beverages (Article 7 (d) Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2010)
Radio	None, only self-regulation (Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland Code of Standards for Advertising, Promotional and Direct Marketing in Ireland (7th edition, 2016)) and Alcohol Marketing, Communications and Sponsorship Codes of Practice)
Outdoor marketing	None, only self-regulations (Alcohol Marketing, Communications and Sponsorship Codes of Practice)
Printed media	None, only self-regulations (Alcohol Marketing, Communications and Sponsorship Codes of Practice)
Cinema	None, only self-regulations (Alcohol Marketing, Communications and Sponsorship Codes of Practice)
Internet/digital media	None, only self-regulation (Section 18 of the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland Code of Standards for Advertising, Promotional and Direct Marketing in Ireland (7th edition, 2016), Alcohol Marketing, Communications and Sponsorship Codes of Practice)
Promotional items	None, only self-regulation (Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland Code of Standards for Advertising, Promotional and Direct Marketing in Ireland (7th edition, 2016))
(Sports) sponsorship	Sponsorship Codes of Practice)
(Sports) sponsorship	Content restrictions: shall not encourage immoderate consumption of such beverages (Article 7 (d) Audiovisual Media Services Regulations 2010)

Table 3 Labelling information	Description	Legally binding or self-regulation
Health warnings:	No
Ingredients/nutritional information	No

Table 4 Self-regulations on alcohol marketing in Ireland	Coverage
Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland Code of Standards for Advertising, Promotional and Direct Marketing in Ireland (7th edition, 2016)	TV, radio, cinema, sponsoring, internet/digital media, outdoor, print, promotional items. Section 9 deals with alcohol drinks
MEAS Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks	Promotional items
Alcohol Marketing, Communications and Sponsorship Codes of Practice	TV, radio, cinema, outdoor marketing, printed media, digital media, sponsorships

The following document contains an in depth (but older) overview of alcohol marketing regulations in Ireland: alcohol-marketing-regulations-Ireland.pdf

For even more (but older) information on alcohol marketing regulations in Ireland, please take a look at Ireland’s appendix to the 2007 ELSA (Enforcement of national Laws and Self-regulation on advertising and marketing of Alcohol) report.