Since stricter rules were introduced in January, the Belgian Jury for Ethical Practices (JEP) has seen a significant rise in complaints and requests for advice regarding alcohol advertising, with a record 20 alcohol adverts modified in the first eight months of 2025.
According to the Council for Advertising, 20 complaints about alcohol-related adverts were filed between January and August, compared to 8 in all of 2024 and 12 in 2023. Half of these complaints concerned online and social media ads.
The increase in complaints is attributed to a revised alcohol agreement, which bans alcohol advertising near schools and on platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. It also restricts the use of young influencers in promotional materials.
All rulings and requests for adjustments made since the start of the year have been implemented. Marc Frederix, chairman of the Council for Advertising, noted that companies have been quick to act and often take responsibility early. “This approach could inspire other sectors. The new code demonstrates that stricter rules can be effectively enforced, even without legal mandates,” he said.
The JEP was also consulted 15 times pre-emptively by businesses this year, compared to five requests in 2024 and 13 in 2023.
The Council for Advertising is now developing an artificial intelligence system to monitor thousands of advertisements and influencer posts in real time for compliance with advertising codes.
