The European Court of Justice has recently dismissed a petition by Germany challenging a law banning tobacco advertising across the European Union. Germany had challenged the law and persuading the case with EU Court to bring down the EU-wide ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship. Germany had challenged the law on the ground that the ban could not be based on rules that aspire to finish off national barriers to trade within the EU.
However, the Luxembourg based court in its verdict ruled that the legal basis for the law was well-grounded as the law has helped liquidating national trade barriers and promote EU as a single market. The law enacted by EU countries on ads for tobacco precludes the free movement of goods and free distribution of radio and Internet tobacco advertising.
In the meanwhile, Germany’s consumer protection minister, Horst Seehofer, said that the Berlin was already in the process to incorporate the ban in the national law as the verdict was very much expected. The law is expected to come into effect next year.
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