Conservative Party pushes to relax Norway's alcohol advertising rules

Høyre is seeking to update Norway's strict alcohol advertising legislation by allowing establishments to use images of wine and beer as décor and to provide straightforward product information on social platforms. Erlend Svardal Bøe, the party's health policy spokesperson, argued that existing enforcement has led to odd cases, like municipalities banning decorative wine bottles with candles. The party also wants producers to be able to label products that have won international competitions and to broaden farm-direct sales of alcoholic beverages.

Representatives from the hospitality sector, including Jens Thorgaard of the Rekom group and Daniel Torkildsen Lea of Oslo Handelsstands forening, praised the proposals as a reduction of administrative burdens. They noted examples where local authorities have forced bars to blur images of drinks online or prohibited mentioning happy-hour pricing despite it being allowed. The bill will be debated in the Storting later this week.