Organisations from outside the EU will be prohibited from sponsoring political advertisements in the three months leading up to the European elections in June under a new law approved by EU lawmakers on Tuesday (27 February).
The legislation on political advertising, which received support from MEPs with 470 in favor, 50 against, and 105 abstentions in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, aims to enhance transparency and protect against foreign interference in election and referendum campaigns across the EU. National governments are expected to approve the text in the coming days, marking the final step for it to become law.
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This law is part of a series of EU regulations aimed at combating foreign interference from countries like Russia and China, addressing disinformation, and increasing transparency in political campaigns, following controversies involving data mining companies such as the now defunct Cambridge Analytica.
The European Commission had initially aimed for the regulation to be in place before this year’s European Parliament elections. However, negotiations on the law took longer than expected, and the three-month ban on foreign advertising is the only provision that will be enforced from March, with the rest of the new rules set to take effect in September 2025.
These rules include the mandatory storage of all political advertising and related information in a public online repository, allowing individuals, journalists, and activists to access information about targeted ads, their sponsors, payment details, and their connection to elections or referendums.
The repository will be overseen by the EU executive.
“In the future, we will have transparency on who is behind political ads and who is funding them. This is crucial to safeguard against interference from foreign entities,” said Sandro Gozi, the Renew Europe MEP who led the negotiations on the legislation, during a press conference following the vote on Tuesday.
Gozi, a former Italian Europe minister now serving as a centrist MEP in France, highlighted the three-month ban on foreign advertising as a key addition made by MEPs to the legislation.
Member states will also have the option to impose longer bans on foreign ads if they choose to do so.
“This may not be a definitive solution, but it sends a strong message globally,” Gozi added.
Furthermore, the use of targeting and amplification techniques for online political advertising based on personal data will only be permitted with explicit consent from individuals.
Defining what constitutes “political” content was a contentious issue throughout the negotiations, with concerns raised about potential restrictions on freedom of speech. The final text clarifies that political opinions and other editorial content are not considered political advertising unless payment or remuneration is involved.
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