Pjan ta' Azzjoni tal-Kampanja Ewropea

L-Artikolu 21 tar-Regolament japplika biss għall-partiti politiċi Ewropej u mhux għall-fondazzjonijiet politiċi Ewropej.

Il-projbizzjoni ta' finanzjament dirett jew indirett ta' partiti jew kandidati politiċi oħra skont l-Artikolu 22 tar-Regolament jibqa' applikabbli flimkien mal-Artikolu 21 tar-Regolament. L-Awtorità tfakkar il-kriterji għall-valutazzjoni tal-konformità mal-Artikolu 22 kif stabbilit hawn fuq.

Fl-istess waqt, l-Artikolu 21 tar-Regolament iħeġġeġ lill-partiti politiċi Ewropej biex iwettqu l-kampanji tagħhom stess għall-elezzjonijiet Ewropej, li jridu jibqgħu f'konformità mal-valuri tal-Unjoni, u li huma komplementari għall-kampanji tal-partiti membri tagħhom imma differenti minnhom.

Dan japplika wkoll jekk il-kandidat ewlieni ta' partit politiku Ewropew ikun fl-istess waqt kandidat fl-elezzjonijiet għall-Parlament Ewropew fi Stat Membru tal-UE. Isegwi l-fatt li l-partiti politiċi Ewropej huma intitolati li jikkontribwixxu finanzjarjament għall-kampanji fil-kuntest tal-elezzjonijiet għall-Parlament Ewropew, inkluż jekk il-kandidat ewlieni ta' Partit Politiku Ewropew ikun simultanjament fuq lista elettorali ta' Stat Membru, ġaladarba huma jikkonformaw mal-Artikolu 22(1) tar-Regolament kif speċifikat aktar hawn fuq.

Fid-dawl ta' dan, l-Awtorità tfakkar il-ħames prinċipji ta' gwida għall-kampanji tal-partiti politiċi Ewropej fil-kuntest tal-elezzjonijiet Ewropej (kif żviluppati flimkien mad-Direttorat Ġenerali għall-Finanzi tal-Parlament Ewropew fl-2018):

• Kamp ta' applikazzjoni - tranżnazzjonali (i.e. jinkludi diversi Stati Membri),
• Kontenut - enfasi predominanti fuq suġġetti Ewropej,
• Sjieda - responsabbiltà tal-partit politiku Ewropew,
• Awturi - viżibbiltà tal-partit politiku Ewropew u
• Kompatibbiltà mal-liġi nazzjonali.

Sabiex tiffaċilita l-implimentazzjoni prattika ta' dawn il-prinċipji ta' gwida u biex tantiċipa l-immaniġġjar ta' konformità, l-Awtorità żviluppat l-għodda tal-Pjan ta' Azzjoni għall-Kampanji Ewropej ("E-CAP") li tgħin lill-partiti politiċi Ewropej jippjanaw il-kampanji tagħhom fid-dawl tar-regoli u l-prinċipji applikabbli. Mitigaturi importanti tar-riskju tal-konformità jinkludu pereżempju l-parteċipazzjoni f'attivitajiet ta' kandidat ewlieni ("Spitzenkandidat/-in") u l-viżibbiltà distinta tal-partit politiku Ewropew.

Filwaqt li l-iskambji ta' informazzjoni mal-awtoritajiet nazzjonali jistgħu jseħħu fir-rigward tal-attivitajiet tal-kampanja Ewropea, il-valutazzjonijiet mill-awtoritajiet nazzjonali fir-rigward tal-partiti jew il-kandidati nazzjonali, eż. fejn il-kofinanzjament ta' attivitajiet konġunti mill-partiti politiċi Ewropej jista' jitqies bħala dħul tal-partiti korrispondenti jew tal-kandidati skont il-liġi nazzjonali dwar il-finanzjament tal-partiti politiċi, ma jippreġudikawx il-valutazzjoni tal-Awtorità skont l-Artikolu 22(1) tar-Regolament. L-Awtorità tinsab f'kuntatt mal-Istati Membri kif xieraq sabiex tiffaċilita l-applikazzjoni armonjuża tar-Regolament u tal-liġi nazzjonali bħala ż-żewġ livelli komplementari tal-qafas regolatorju.

• The designation by a European political party of a lead candidate for the European elections ('Spitzenkandidat/-in'), as well as their participation in activities of the European political party concerned, are a key driver of the European nature of the campaign of the European political party concerned. 'Spitzenkandidaten' therefore mitigate compliance risks for the campaign of the European political party overall, as well as for individual activities in their presence, provided they are presented as European lead candidate and carrying a political project for the entire European Union.

• More particularly, 'Spitzenkandidaten' designated and presented as such by a European political party for its campaign to the European elections are reducing compliance risks in light of Article 22(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014. Due to the transnational nature of the European elections campaigns of European political parties, this compliance risk reduction effect applies also in the Member State where 'Spitzenkandidaten' are simultaneously on a national or regional ballot for election to the European Parliament, provided they are presented as European lead candidate and carrying a political project for the entire European Union.

• In light of Article 21(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014, 'Spitzenkandidaten' can only be those designated by a European political party. The above risk mitigation effects only apply as of the time of such designation, and only in relation to the designating European political party.

Mill-perspettiva tar-Regolament (UE, Euratom) Nru 1141/2014, il-kampanji kollaborattivi Ewropej li jinvolvu partiti politiċi Ewropej differenti fihom infushom mhumiex ipprojbiti, iżda ma jridux jamalgamaw il-finanzjament, u lanqas l-identitajiet u l-proċessi ta' teħid ta' deċiżjonijiet, tad-diversi partiti politiċi Ewropej involuti. B'mod aktar konkret, japplikaw il-limitazzjonijiet li ġejjin għall-kampanji kollaborattivi tal-partiti politiċi Ewropej:

L-attivitajiet ta' finanzjament f'dan il-kuntest se jiġu analizzati fl-ambitu tal-Artikolu 22(1), kif wieħed jista' jippreżumi.

L-Awtorità għalhekk, bl-istess mod għal attivitajiet konġunti mal-partiti fil-livell nazzjonali, se tipproċedi biex tivvaluta jekk il-finanzjament dirett jew indirett ġiex ipprovdut minn partit politiku Ewropew lil ieħor. Il-finanzjament indirett huwa vvalutat b'referenza għall-kriterji li ġejjin, li huma spjegati ulterjorament hawn fuq:

• Viżibbiltà konsistenti ta' kull partit politiku Ewropew involut
  
• Livell ta' sjieda dwar l-attività minn kull partit politiku Ewropew involut
  
• Is-sehem ta' kofinanzjament irid ikun f'korrelazzjoni realistika mal-involviment ġenerali ta' kull partit politiku Ewropew involut.
  

Kampanji elettorali Ewropej fi ħdan it-tifsira tal-Artikolu 21(1) tar-Regolament (UE, Euratom) Nru 1141/2014 bħala forma ta' parteċipazzjoni fl-elezzjonijiet Ewropej skont l-Artikolu 3(1)(d) tar-Regolament (UE, Euratom) Nru 1141/2014 huma mwettqa minn partiti politiċi Ewropej, mhux minn pjattaformi ta' kooperazzjoni li jaħbuhom jew jipprevaluhom. Dan ifisser ukoll li l-korpi ta' governanza ta' partit politiku Ewropew jew ieħor ma jistgħux jorbtu lilhom infushom li jiġu direzzjonati għal skopijiet ta' strateġija ta' kampanja jew implimentazzjoni ta' attività ta' kampanja, mill-korpi governattivi tal-partit politiku Ewropew ieħor rispettiv jew minn strutturi ta' teħid ta' deċiżjonijiet apparti l-partiti politiċi Ewropej. Il-proċeduri statutorji ta' teħid ta' deċiżjonijiet iridu jibqgħu separati, u ma jista' jkun hemm ebda delegazzjoni ġenerali ta' teħid ta' deċiżjonijiet (tal-kampanji) minn partit wieħed lill-ieħor jew lil pjattaforma esterna.

Konsegwentement, il-gwida tal-Pjan ta' Azzjoni għall-Kampanji Ewropej ("E-CAP") tal-Awtorità (ara hawn fuq) u l-verifika tal-parteċipazzjoni fl-elezzjonijiet Ewropej jibqgħu japplikaw b'mod separat, u jridu juru awtonomija suffiċjenti ta' teħid ta' deċiżjonijiet għal kull partit politiku Ewropew involut fil-kampanji kollaborattivi.

Din l-informazzjoni hija mingħajr preġudizzju għall-valutazzjoni tal-Uffiċjal tal-Awtorizzazzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew fir-rwol tiegħu.

Having recourse to 'influencers' is not as such a prohibited campaigning tool from the perspective of the Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 (the "Regulation"). The Authority nonetheless would like to draw attention to the general principle that outsourcing activities of European political parties must not circumvent the rules applicable to European political parties themselves. More particularly, the conduct of 'influencers' or other service providers acting within the framework of their contractual relations with a European political party is attributable to the European political party itself.

This means in particular that the European political party should draw the 'influencers' attention to:

• The requirement to comply throughout the campaign with the values of the Union and applicable, including national, rules (see E-CAP letter of 25 May 2023, as published above). This means in particular that national medial law and - until the new Regulation on political advertisement enters into force - national rules on political advertisement are to be observed.

• The requirement to abstain from personal data protection rules infringements throughout the campaign, including in light of Article 10a of the Regulation. This means in particular that deep fakes or other forms of stolen personal data must not be displayed or referred to.

• Where relevant, the prohibitions of funding according to Article 22(1) of the Regulation and risk reduction principles for joint activities apply (see E-CAP letter, and general guidance, as published above). This means in particular that contractors can only be funded by a European political party for 'influencing' activity if and to the extent this does not amount to indirect funding of another party, in particular a national party.

• The prohibitions and obligations regarding donations as per Article 20 of the Regulation apply as well, notably in cases where services are provided for free or, depending on the circumstances, below market price (see guidance on 'discounted rates' here https://www.appf.europa.eu/appf/en/guidance/donations-and-contributions).

• Subject to the above-mentioned constraints, and without prejudice to the assessment of concrete E-CAP, the Authority points out the following risk mitigating factors in relation to logos:
  
  
  • Logo of European political parties prominently visible
  
  
  • Topics of cross-border relevance, which would remain the same in campaigning activities across multiple Member States.

• The risk mitigator "lead candidate" ("Spitzenkandidat/-in") recalled above can only be relied on in relation to a candidate that is nominated as such by the European political party itself, not merely by a member party, and campaigns for the European political party across Member States.

• Compliance risks are high as regards a national candidate display alongside the European political parties and national party logos, if national logo and national candidate combined would take substantially more space on the display than the presence of the European political party and its logo on the same display (and consequently, national parties and candidates might appear as the main driver of this form of campaigning, thus casting doubt over compliance with the campaign ownership criterion).