Role of WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO), as the UN agency for public health, focuses in the field of audiovisual media primarily on protecting children's health from the harmful effects of advertising. It has long highlighted the negative impact of marketing targeted at children and adolescents, particularly with regard to foods and beverages high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS).
WHO recommends the adoption of regulatory measures within audiovisual media services to limit the exposure of minors to advertising of unhealthy products.
Involvement of the Council for Media Services
In 2019, the Council organized a workshop within the then-existing European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services – ERGA (today's European Board for Media Services - EBMS) on the topic: "How the AVMS Directive can help address advertising of unhealthy food and beverages aimed at minors."
Currently, the Council for Media Services is not engaged in any active cooperation with WHO. However, it continues to monitor the issue of advertising targeted at minors within the broader regulatory framework of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD).