In a written answer on 19 June 2026, Commissioner Michael McGrath, on behalf of the European Commission, defended the transparency and targeting of political advertising regulation (EU) 2024/900 against criticism that it imposes excessive bureaucracy on small local party branches. The answer, responding to a question from Renew MEP Katri Kulmuni, clarified that reporting, labelling and record-keeping obligations apply only to service providers, not to political actors or entities requesting such services. McGrath also pointed to guidelines adopted in October 2025 that explain these obligations, and announced an implementation dialogue in 2026 to gather practical insights.
The question, submitted on 30 April 2026, had argued that the rules are widely seen as annoying and pointless, citing examples such as requirements for large QR codes on meeting notices and detailed reports, and noting that Facebook has banned paid political advertising partly as a result of the regulation. Kulmuni asked how the Commission intends to assess the regulation's actual impact on civil society and its effectiveness in preventing electoral interference from outside the EU.
McGrath's answer did not announce any new impact assessment or revision of the regulation. Instead, he reiterated that the regulation contributes to preventing foreign interference by requiring third-country service providers to designate a legal representative in an EU member state and by prohibiting engagement with sponsors from third countries during the three months before any election or referendum. He also noted that under Article 27, the Commission will submit an evaluation and review report to the European Parliament and the Council within two years after the next European Parliament elections.
The answer signals that the Commission sees the current rules as sufficient and that any future adjustments will come only after the mandated review. For small political parties and voluntary local branches, the clarification that they are not directly subject to reporting obligations may ease some concerns, but the perception of bureaucracy may persist if service providers pass on compliance costs. For larger platforms like Facebook, the regulation's indirect effect of discouraging paid political advertising remains a point of contention. The implementation dialogue later in 2026 will be the next opportunity for stakeholders to raise practical issues.