A pilot version of a new European online repository for political adverts will open for voluntary use on 12 October 2026.
The repository is linked to the EU Regulation on Political Advertising, which entered into full application on 10 October 2025, the European Commission announced on Monday.
The system is designed to hold “transparency notices” about online political advertisements, including information on who is behind an advert.
Those notices will include details such as the sponsor and any controlling or paying entity, along with the amounts spent on the advert and the wider campaign it forms part of.
The repository is also set to include information on where funding comes from, including whether it is public or private and whether it originates inside or outside the EU.
It will also record the dissemination period for an advert and whether targeting or ad-delivery techniques based on personal data were used, including information on the use of AI systems for targeting or ad delivery.
When the obligations will begin
Users will be able to identify adverts, access permanent URLs where available, and consult the information contained in transparency notices, according to the Commission.
The date for the repository’s official deployment has not yet been published, and will be announced on its website in advance to give publishers time to prepare.
Obligations linked to using the repository will apply only from the date of official deployment.
The Commission also said an “Implementation Dialogue” on the regulation will be hosted by Commissioner Michael McGrath in Brussels on 4 November, bringing together stakeholders to exchange views and share early experiences of the rules.
