The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly has produced a Recommendation calling for a European code of conduct on the images of women in advertising.
Recommendation 1799 (2007)1
1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers to its Resolution 1557 (2007) on the image of women in advertising and asks the Committee of Ministers to ensure that the member states implement it.
2. It asks the Committee of Ministers to appoint an international committee of experts to make an in-depth study of the image of women and men in advertising.
3. On the basis of the findings of this study, the Committee of Ministers will be asked to draw up a European code of good conduct encouraging advertising professionals to present images which are not discriminatory and respect the dignity of women and men.
4. The Assembly also asks the Committee of Ministers to:
4.1. introduce a European prize to be awarded to advertising which breaks most effectively with sexist stereotypes and promotes equality between women and men;
4.2. urge the governments of member states to organise national campaigns to sharpen public awareness of sexist or violent advertising and suggest means of reacting to it.
1 Assembly debate on 26 June 2007 (21st Sitting) (see Doc. 11286, report of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, rapporteur: Mrs Bilgehan). Text adopted by the Assembly on 26 June 2007 (21st Sitting).