Code for Passenger Cars (CVP)

Code for Passenger Cars (CVP)

I PURPOSE

The purpose of this Special Advertising Code is to attune advertising messages to government policy on traffic safety, the environment and energy savings. Policy of the automotive sector is not only aimed at ensuring that new cars are produced as safe, environmentally sound and economical as possible, but also at encouraging that they are used in a way which is as safe, environmentally sound and economical as possible.

 

II GENERAL PROVISIONS

Area of Application
This Special Advertising Code applies to the advertising and other sales promoting activities for new passenger cars.

This Code maintains the following definitions:
a.       The sector: members of the Automobile division of the RAI Association.

b.      Passenger cars: cars intended for the transport of up to eight persons (not including the driver) as stipulated in the Automobile Transport Act, and driven by an internal combustion engine.

c.       Advertising messages: see the definition of advertising, as stated in Article 1 of the General Code.

 

III PROVISIONS CONCERNING ADVERTISING MESSAGES

All advertising messages used in the automotive sector shall comply with the Code for Environmental Advertising. Furthermore, the following stipulations apply:

Article 1
In advertising messages speed, acceleration and engine power shall not be used as arguments to promote sales. Any mention of engine power shall be in kilowatts (kW).

 

Article 2
Par. 1
Any fuel consumption figures shall exclusively be mentioned in accordance with Ministerial Order on Labelling of Energy Use (Bulletin of Acts and Orders 2000-475).

Par. 2
An advertising message shall contain information about the energy consumption of the car models referred to in the advertisement. This information complies with the requirements of Annex 3 of the abovementioned Decree if:

The average fuel consumption and the average CO2-emissions according to the official test cycle are represented as follows:

•   horizontally, with regards to the written commercial message;

•   at the bottom of the message, and separated from other written statements;
•   in a font that is clearly readable and with a normal spacing;

•   in a way that the statements are in clear contrast with the background;
•   in a type size that minimally equals the smallest type size of the information given in de advertising message, where for each character (except subscript or superscript* and other special characters) the following minimal sizes apply:

*) = a way of printing, where the characters are printed approx. two third above (super) or under (sub) the baseline.

1)     For advertising in print, such as newspapers, magazines, leaflets:

•   for advertising size smaller than A5: 1.5mm
•   for advertising size starting at A5: 3mm
•   for advertising size starting at A3: 4mm
•   for advertising size starting at A2: 5mm
•   other formats: in relation to the standards, mentioned here above.

 

2)     For posters:

•   For size A3: 5 mm
For size A2: 7,5 mm
•   For size A1: 4 mm
•   For size ‘abribus’: 25 mm
•   For posters 16 m2: 70 mm
•   For posters 20 m2: 75 mm
•   For posters 36 m2: 100 mm
•   For other sizes: in relation to the standards, mentioned here above.

 

3)     For websites the following provisions apply:

•   The fuel consumption data and the CO2-emissions are consistently mentioned on the web pages which show a survey of the detailed technical (motor) characteristics of the displayed vehicle.
•   On the website or websites of the car make involved a general overview is displayed with a table (or similar presentation form), in   which all the fuel consumption data and CO2-emissions of the vehicle gamma of the same make are reported in a easily readable and simply printable format, which makes it easy to compare the different versions and models.
•   On each page of the car make website it is easy to click a link to the survey table, mentioned here above, by means of a specific button, a menu or similar way of linking.
•   On banners, IMU’s, skyscrapers and other similar advertising formats on other website(s) than the one of the own car make, the fuel consumption data and CO2-emissions are also clearly readable; or it is possible to directly click and go to a webpage where these data may be found and printed. As to the so called ‘viral’ campaigns, the abovementioned data are given on the landing page, on which the consumer arrives after a click-through.

The given fuel consumption data and CO2-emissions represent the values of the displayed model in the displayed version (with manual gear box/automatic gearbox/ petrol engine/ diesel engine etc.).

In case the advertisement does not refer to a specific version, but to a whole range of vehicles of the same model or the same make, then both the minimum and maximum parameter values of the average fuel consumption and CO2-emissions according to the official test cycle of the vehicle range the advertisement refers to are stated.

The official fuel consumption is represented in kilometres per litre and litres per 100 kilometres for petrol, LPG or diesel (or in m3 per 100 kilometres and kilometres per m3 for natural gas). The official specific CO2-emission is represented in grammes per kilometre rounded off to the nearest whole number.

 

Article 3
Advertising shall not appeal to, or elicit aggressive, environmentally-unfriendly or unsafe traffic behaviour. Terms which commend the car as an environmentally-friendly product shall be avoided in advertising messages. Qualifications concerning contributions to or the promotion of a clean environment shall under no circumstances be used in an absolute sense.

 

Article 4
The use of terms which commend the car as an absolutely safe product shall be avoided in advertising messages. This code became operative on 1 May 1994 and was revised on 1 January 2004 and 1 October 2009.

The commencing date of the revised advertising code for passenger cars is 1 October 2009.