Political Actor
A political actor is any person or organisation that directly participates in political activities, such as a political party, an elected representative, or a candidate running for office. Under the EU's transparency rules for political advertising, political actors can sponsor or be the subject of political advertisements and face specific obligations when doing so.
Legal Basis
"'political actor' means any of the following:
(a) a European political party or a European political foundation as referred to in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council;
(b) a national or regional political party or a foundation, association or other organisation that is affiliated to a national or regional political party;
(c) a member of the European Parliament;
(d) a member of a national, regional or local parliament or assembly or a member of a government at any level or a candidate for any such position, or an association or other organisation established to support such a member or candidate;
(e) a holder of an office in a Member State, or a candidate for such an office, where such holder or candidate is elected in connection with an election or a referendum;
(f) an association or other organisation established mainly for the purpose of supporting an election or referendum campaign concerning a specific issue."
— Article 2(3), Regulation (EU) 2024/900
Why It Matters
Political actors are at the heart of the EU's political advertising transparency rules. When a political actor sponsors an advertisement—whether paying a platform to promote content or working with an influencer—that advertisement becomes "political advertising" and must meet strict transparency obligations, including clear labelling and disclosure of who paid for it.
The definition is deliberately broad. It covers not just obvious cases like MEPs and political parties, but also local councillors, referendum campaign groups, and organisations set up to support a specific candidate. This ensures that citizens can identify when they are being targeted by political messages, no matter the source.
Political actors must work with publishers and platforms to ensure that transparency information is provided and that personal data is only used for targeting in limited, lawful ways. If you're a political actor planning a campaign, you need to understand your obligations as a sponsor and ensure your advertising partners comply with the regulation.
Key Points
- Includes a wide range of actors: from MEPs and national MPs to local councillors, political parties at all levels, and single-issue campaign organisations.
- European, national, regional, and local levels: the definition covers political actors at every tier of government and in every type of election or referendum.
- Candidates and office-holders: both current elected officials and those running for office are political actors.
- Affiliated organisations: foundations, associations, or other groups linked to political parties or candidates also qualify.
- Purpose-built campaign groups: organisations created mainly to support a specific election or referendum campaign are political actors, even if temporary.
- Sponsors of political ads: when a political actor sponsors an advertisement, that ad must be labelled, and transparency notices must be provided to the public.
Political Actor vs. Sponsor
A political actor is the person or organisation involved in politics (e.g., an MEP, a party, a campaign group). A sponsor is the entity that pays for a political advertisement. Often, the sponsor is a political actor—for example, a political party paying for ads. But the sponsor can also be a third party, such as a business or association, that is not itself a political actor but is paying for an ad that supports or opposes a political actor or issue.
Under the regulation, the sponsor (whether a political actor or not) must supply transparency information. If the sponsor is a political actor, both concepts overlap. If the sponsor is a third party, it must still meet the transparency obligations, but it may not be a political actor itself.
| Aspect | Political Actor | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Party, candidate, elected official, or campaign group | Entity paying for the political ad |
| Role | Subject or source of political activity | Pays for or provides benefit for the ad |
| Can be the same entity? | Yes—often the sponsor is a political actor | Yes—but sponsor can also be a third party |
| Obligations | Must ensure transparency when sponsoring ads | Must provide transparency information to publishers |