A Swedish court has effectively overturned the legal ban on alcohol advertising in Sweden, after a five-year legal battle. The Swedish Market Court, the highest legal entity in such cases, has ruled that Sweden's law against alcohol advertising is incompatible with European Community law, a claim that was originally made by the Gourmet magazine as it started accepting alcohol advertisements in spite of the ban a few years ago.

Ever since the ban was introduced, brewers advertising in Sweden have been restricted to advertise low-alcohol beer only. Many have seen this as a loophole, but manufacturers without any low-alcohol alternatives on their roster have been shut out from advertising their products. The ruling is likely to force the country's parliament to change the restrictive law, but as of yet, there is still some confusion about exactly what is legal and what is not.

06 February, 2003