Abstract: Consumer activist groups currently play a prominent role in the European Economic Community (EEC), United Nations (UN) and other intergovernmental organisations' deliberations on marketing and advertising related issues. The European Bureau of Consumers' Unions, for example, has become active on issues ranging from agriculture to foreign trade and is formally represented on the EEC's Consumer Consultative Committee. A recently proposed EEC Draft Directive would allow consumer groups, who have a legitimate interest, "to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against misleading and unfair advertising even if no proven damage is involved". The growing strength of these groups is also reflected in the fact that a recent International Advertising Association (IAA) study found that they could already initiate such proceedings in 13 countries. On the world scene, the UN Commission on Transnational Corporations has focused considerable attention on advertising, especially that of the transnational (or multinational) corporation. Again, many of these efforts have been at the behest (and have the full support) of consumer groups. Similar positions of strength by consumer groups have been evidenced before the World Health Organisation, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Such strength, of course, should not be surprising to observers who have witnessed the consumer movement in the US. Barksdale and Perreault recently credited the movement with the fact that more "legislation designed to protect the rights of buyers" has been enacted since the mid-1960s than during the previous 189 years. Again, much of this legislation was directed toward advertising. What is evident from this review is that consumer organisations have.

　　Subjects: CONSUMER cooperatives; CONSUMERS; ADVERTISING laws; MARKETING; ADVERTISING; EUROPEAN Economic Community; UNITED Nations; INTERNATIONAL Advertising Association (1950- ); Other Services Related to Advertising; Display Advertising; International Affairs; POLITICAL science