Brussels, BELGIUM — The European Commission presented a legislative proposal today that seeks to harmonise the rules on transparency to political advertising. It also aims to modernise the framework, making the rules fit for the digital age. The Computer & Communications Industry Association welcomes the European Commission’s overall objectives.
The proposal emphasizes that EU citizens should see clear statements indicating the political nature of ads and the name of the sponsor. Information on the wider context of the political ads and its aims should also be made available. The proposal requires advertising publishers to publish annual reports on the value of other benefits received in exchange for their services.
The Council and the European Parliament will now have to define their positions on the proposal which could be negotiated, adopted and enforced ahead of the next European Parliament elections in 2024.
The following can be attributed to CCIA Senior Manager, Victoria de Posson:
“We support the goal to create a modern EU-wide framework that provides more transparency in political advertising and that safeguards election integrity and freedom of expression.”
“Currently each state has its own approach for political ads, so more guidance at the EU level would help promote EU-wide efforts, which is particularly important for smaller companies.”
“Some clarifications are however needed, for instance on definitions and targeting requirements. We would encourage the legislators to continue dialogue with industry and civil society representatives to ensure that the new legislative framework sets effective rules and shared responsibilities among stakeholders, thus making the law work better in practice.”