Brussels, 20 July 2022
See question(s) : E-001380/2022
EN
E-001380/2022
Answer given by Vice-President Jourová
on behalf of the European Commission
(20.7.2022)
In November 2021, the Commission adopted a package of measures to reinforce democracy and protect the integrity of elections1, including a legislative proposal on transparency and targeting of political advertising and a legislative proposal to update EU rules on the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations. These measures deliver on commitments announced in the European Democracy Action Plan in full respect of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and association.
As regards the first question, the Commission notes that, in order to support accountability in the political process, the proposal requires information to be provided in a transparency notice which should also include the identity of the sponsor. It would be consistent with this aim and the relevant definitions that the entity ultimately controlling the sponsor may be a natural person sponsoring a sponsor which is a legal person. The proposal will be subject to extensive scrutiny in negotiation, including by the Parliaments’ Committees on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection; Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs; Legal Affairs; Culture and Education; and Constitutional Affairs.
As regards the second question, the rules concerning the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations are established in Regulation 1141/2014, which includes provisions regarding the contributions and donations received by these entities. A proposal2 to recast this Regulation is also under negotiation by the co-legislators, including additional, specific provisions regarding the sponsoring of political advertising.
1 https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/eu-citizenship/democracy-and-electoralrights_en
2 COM/2021/734 final, available at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2021:734:FIN
Source – EU Parliament: Answer to a written question – On transparency regarding donations to political parties – E-001380/2022(ASW)
Source : © European Union, 2022 – EP