Parliament does not want to restrict unsolicited paper commercials
Parliament does not want to restrict unaddressed and unwanted paper advertising mail. On Tuesday, the Council of States buried a motion from the National Council that called for a system change to stem the flood of paper in mailboxes.
The motion by Katja Christ (GLP/BS) called for a change in the system: instead of a "Stop advertising" sticker on the mailbox stating that no unaddressed mail is desired, a sticker should signal that direct mail is expressly desired. This should prevent unnecessary paper waste.
The Council of States rejected the motion on Tuesday by 32 votes to 12, following the majority of the Commission for Transport and Telecommunications (KVF-S). The motion, which was approved by a narrow majority in the National Council, is thus off the table. The Federal Council had also requested a "no" vote.
In the eyes of the majority of the commission, the system change would not bring any added value. And it would make it difficult for associations in particular to reach the people in their village. If the aim is to avoid waste, the companies that advertise should be targeted directly.
Lisa Mazzone (Greens/GE) replied that the situation was unbearable. Every day, mountains of paper went from the mailbox directly into the trash. And janitors regularly removed stop-advertising stickers from the mailboxes. Political advertising and club advertising are allowed to be posted despite the "Stop Advertising" sticker.
If the "Stop Advertising" sticker on the mailbox is disregarded, a complaint can be lodged with the Fairness Commission, said Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga. In the eyes of the Federal Council, this path should be pursued consistently. (SDA)
