International

On the initiative of SP Member of Parliament Peter Kwint, MPs today voted to oppose the European Union to broaden what is allowed in advertising aimed at children. “Brussels wants advertisers to be able to aim their message at children when a programme is on which isn’t specifically for them, but is nevertheless watched by large numbers of children,” Kwint explains. “I don’t know why. The interests of children are far more important than those of the  multinationals who want, for example, to advertise unhealthy junk.” 

That is why Kwint joined the centre-right Christian Democrats in putting forward the proposal  to charge the Dutch government with the task of opposing the EU’s planned relaxation of the existing restrictions. “Everyone knows that, to take an example, Teletubbies is for small children,” says Kwint. “But there are programmes which are also watched by large numbers of kids. So governments must have the power to ensure that children aren’t overburdened with all sorts of ads trying to interest them in all sorts of unhealthy junk.”