The French are discussing the possibility of cracking down even further on advertising regulations for wine. It seems possible wine advertising and pornography will be placed on an equal footing in legal terms.

According to media reports, the French government and parts of parliament are thinking about new regulations aimed at reducing the abuse of alcohol. According to these, the regulations that have been in place since 1991 are to be made even more restrictive. For instance, access to websties advertising wine and other alcoholic beverages may have to be shut off during the daytime, or could be accessible only with a proof of age. Public relations for wine and other alcoholic beverages on the Internet would also be banned. This would mean that at least in some respects wine advertising and pornography would be placed on an equal footing in legal terms. However, considerable opposition is forming in response to the report presented by the working group, both among wine producers and among journalists. (WF)