Sweden
Public Bodies
Marknadsdomstolen (Market Court)
A specialized court that handles cases related to the Competition Act as well as cases involving the Marketing Act and other consumer and marketing legislation. In cases related to these laws, the Market Court is the highest court of appeal.
Konsumentverket/Konsumentombudsmannen (Consumer Agency/Ombudsman)
A state agency whose task is to help the Swedish general public with consumer affairs. The Consumer Agency is headed by a Director General who is also Consumer Ombudsman, KO. The KO represents consumer interests in relations to businesses, and pursues legal action in the consumer interest.
Barnombudsmannen (Children's Ombudsman)
Supervises all issues relating to children and young people, including the implementation of the provisions of the UN convention of the child.
Self-regulation bodies
Marknadsetiska Rådet (Council On Market Ethics)
MER is set up and funded by the advertising industry to apply code and rules regulating advertising content. It receives complaints for investigation, and in case the complaint is upheld, the advertiser will be requested to withdraw or amend the advertisement.
Specific functions:
· To adjudicate complaints.
· Provide opinions on complaints to industry and the media.
· There is no appeals procedure.
· The MER does not provide pre-clearance
MER is a member of EASA (European Advertising Standards Alliance).
Law
Marketing Act 1995:450
General rules on good marketing practice, no specific mention of children
No text available
The Radio and TV Act 1996:844
- Chapter 7, sections 4, 7b and 8
Consumer Ombudsman's interpretative advice on the prohibition of commercial advertising to children on television
- Ombudsman's interpretative advice
Direct marketing
According to decisions in the Market Court it is against good marketing practice (as laid out in the Marketing Act) to address direct marketing to individuals under the age of 16.
- MD 1983:16, 1999:26
No text available
Self-regulation
The ICC Marketing Codes are used.
Swedish translation without adaptation
Compendium
of ICC Rules on Children and Young People and Marketing
ICC framework for responsible food and beverage communications (See
Guidelines for marketing to children)
Updated: July 2005