Press conference by Sandro GOZI (Renew Europe, FR), rapporteur on the vote in IMCO, on rules on the transparency and targeting of political advertising

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

press conference

GOZI, Sandro (Renew, FR)

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandro GOZI (Renew, FR), Thank you very much to everybody. As I said, we just adopted the Committee on Single Market in my report on political advertising. I'm very satisfied for three main reason. The fourth reason is that this Parliament, in this current political context, is giving is sending out a very strong message in ensuring more transparency of the political activities, in this case, political advertising. And I think that these are very much needed signal in this moment.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandro GOZI (Renew, FR), The second is that we take very seriously the findings of the special inquiry committee on disinformation and fight against foreign interference. And we provide also, and it is my second point, a very strong answer to the need to preserve the integrity of our democracies, the integrity of our democratic processes, and to fight against the disinformation in our electoral processes. So I would say that from this perspective, the first the European answer to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandro GOZI (Renew, FR), And the third, the reason why I am satisfied that we so far we don't have a real single market for services for political advertising. There are too many barriers. It's impossible to develop a service of political advertising all over Europe. And this is totally contradictory with the will of this Parliament to promote more and more European campaigns, more and more transnational campaigns.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandro GOZI (Renew, FR), So from this perspective, the third point is that we finally we go toward the direction of dismantling barriers, dismantling obstacles to the service of political advertising, and giving the possibility, especially for European political parties, but also for the if in the future we continue with the system of Spitzenkandidaten and things like that, certainly to give the possibility to a candidate to carry out a truly transnational campaign around the continent, around Europe. Contrary to that, what happened until now.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandro GOZI (Renew, FR), I am also satisfied because this is a very difficult file on which different committees we are competent. They focussed mainly on the single market part, but there are other committees such as the Public Liberties Committee, which focus more on other aspect of this report, such as the digital technique and the manipulation technique. And also because I see that the Council has already advanced, there is a general approach in the Council.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandro GOZI (Renew, FR), So I think that we have got the duty and we got also the opportunity of being ready for the next European election in 2024. This my last point, I would say that we must do everything we can between the two co-legislator Parliament and Council to be ready with this new system for the next European election. Thank you very much.

Q & A, Question regarding on the date when he has in mind to start the trialogues. Second question regarding on article 24.

Q & A, Question regarding the work that has gone into ensuring these regulations and do not impact on the commercial advertising.