Regulation (EU) 2024/900 sets EU-level transparency and targeting rules for political advertising. Public EUR-Lex and Commission materials describe duties for sponsors and providers of political advertising services, including publishers, with labelling and transparency notices among the core ideas. Most rules are described as applying from 10 October 2025 — always confirm the live text for your dates. This runbook helps operators ask the right scoping questions; it is not a substitute for counsel.
- Name the activity. Write one paragraph: what message, which election/legislation influence goal if any, which channels, who pays.
- Pick hats on this checklist. Sponsor, provider, publisher, or multi. Copy the path into your compliance ticket.
- Separate Google Ads API EU PAR work. Account mutate locks and
contains_eu_political_advertisingare a different operational track (see specialized Ads API tools). - Map labelling + transparency notice fields using official templates / implementing acts your counsel cites (including any 2025 implementing regulation formats).
- Review targeting rules with privacy counsel before using personal data for political ad delivery.
- Apply SME/micro carve-outs narrowly. Public recitals discuss lighter reporting burdens for SMEs — not a free pass on being in scope.
- If established outside the EU but directing ads at Member State audiences, treat scope seriously based on language/context/means factors described in public materials.
- Re-read EUR-Lex and official Q&A the week you freeze your notice templates.
When counsel disagrees with this static checklist, follow counsel and the live Regulation.