According to EU law, car manufacturers must include CO2-emission information on all 'promotional literature'; after pressure from environmental groups, the DfT has been forced to broaden its definition of the type of marketing material that must include such information.
The DfT had previously interpreted EU Directive 99/94/EC, and its reference to 'promotional literature', as applicable to brochures, letters or other material with 'significant textual content'. Posters and some print ads, which were primarily 'graphical', were excluded.
But in a letter sent yesterday (18 June) to advertising bodies and environmental groups Friends of the Earth and Alliance Against Urban 4x4s, the DfT wrote: 'The Department has been reviewing this guidance and we have concluded that our guidance is incorrect in respect of primarily graphical material.'
The Vehicle Certification Agency website will now state: 'The Regulations define "promotional literature" as "all printed matter used in the marketing, advertising and promotion of a new passenger car...". We are of the view that this definition does include material which is largely graphical, with limited textual content (perhaps containing only the model name and an advertising slogan). We therefore consider that street advertisements are subject to the requirements of the regulations.'
While the DfT reassures advertisers that they will have 'the time needed to make such changes', it warns that they should 'amend existing advertising as soon as reasonably possible'.
It is unclear how far the DfT's reinterpretation will be extended to print ads. The official behind the letter was not in the office on 19 June. Earlier this month European Commission began a month-long public consultation to decide whether car manufacturers should be forced to put CO2-emission warnings on print advertising.
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