It's illegal to advertise for alcohol in Norway, and there doesn't seem much political will to make it legal. But the ban has, according to Aftenposten, never been tested in court, and, inspired by a case in Sweden, the magazine Wine Forum intends to force a trial by printing a wine ad, and get the law repealed for violating the EEA agreement with the EU.

Wine Forum loses millions in revenue every year because of the advertising ban, according to editor Ronold. In queue outside the trade magazine's doors stands producers and alcohol importers who wants to show their wines to the Norwegian market. - The advertising ban makes it near impossible for new and unknown producers to enter the market. We believe this is in violation of EU law. [..]

The basis for the upcoming advertisement conflict is a nearly analogous trial in Sweden, where a wine producer printed an ad in the magazine Gourmet. The ad led to a trial which ended with the Swedish ban on advertisements for alcohol to be withdrawn in February this year. The Swedish court found that the ban violated EU regulations. [..]

Lawyer [Jan Magne] Langseth believes that also the Norwegian ban must be repealed, as Norway through the EEA agreement is required to follow the same rules as Sweden.

There was a similar case recently where EU law overruled Norway's puritan alcohol policies. The state has a retail monopoly on strong beverages, and the definition of "strong" used to be 4.75% for beer, but 2.5% for anything else, (including products the government feared were aimed at young people). Because most beer in Norway is produced locally, and the rest is imported, often from EU countries, the EFTA court saw this as unfair discrimination of EU business, and ordered Norway to use the same limit for all beverages. The limit was raised to 4.75%. This was controversial, and there was much apocalyptic talk of teenage drinking, evil corporations, society falling apart, etc. (Ie. the same debate that accompanies any liberalization of alcohol restrictions, no matter how small. Social conservatism is alive and well in Norway - it just goes by different names.)

If this new attempt works as well, it will demonstrate the largest advantages of EU - its potential for improving market conditions in Europe. But that isn't necessarily an argument for joining the EU, only for remaining in EFTA, a sort of EU light, and the EEA, EU's free trade agreement with the EFTA countries. In fact, I have no problem at all with giving away national independence on trade and market issues, (whether it's to the WTO or EEA) - it's what the EU is beyond a free trade and open borders area that worries me.

"...it's what the EU is beyond a free trade and open borders area that worries me."

And observers. Especially of the EC, which seems to have the same relation to the EU as the Executive/Supreme councils of Iran do to their parliament equivalent, to propose laws to be rubber-stamped and to veto laws not designed by them.

http://www.hghadvisor.com/hgh_shop.html Bovine Growth Hormone

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