Slovakia

[SK] Draft Amendment of Advertising Act

IRIS 2005-7:1/30

Jana Markechová

Markechova Law Offices

In March 2005, the Slovakian Ministry of Trade and Commerce prepared an amendment to Advertising Act No. 147/2001 (zákon o reklame). If the new instrument is adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovakia, it will result in an explicit ban on sponsorship and more stringent restrictions on advertising for tobacco products on all forms of data carrier and in all types of commercial communication, as required by Directive 2003/33/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products. According to Art. 2.1 (d) of the Act, sponsorship is defined as a financial or material contribution to a natural or legal person for an event or activity carried out for the purpose or effect of advertising. Advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products on TV and radio has been banned since 4 October 2000 under Broadcasting and Retransmission Act No. 308/2000 (zákon o vysielaní a retransmisii).