State Advertising

The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) is an EU regulation which aims to protect media freedom and pluralism in the EU. It was agreed in 2024 and has application from 8 August 2025, since when public authorities and entities are required to have in place appropriate criteria and procedures for the awarding of state advertising and to collect and publish information on their expenditure on state advertising.

These requirements apply to all state bodies and agencies, including Government Departments, local authorities, regulatory bodies and entities controlled by Government, such as commercial state bodies.

EMFA defines state advertising as “the placement, promotion, publication or dissemination, in any media service or online platform, of a promotional or self-promotional message or a public announcement or an information campaign, normally in return for payment or for any other consideration, by, for or on behalf of a public authority or entity”.

Public information is an important part of the work of the Department of Defence. We are committed to ensuring that expenditure related to advertising buying is based on transparent, objective, proportionate and non-discriminatory criteria.

Consistent with our obligations under the EMFA, we will apply the following procedures:

• all advertising campaigns are based on a strategic brief that identifies the communication goals we want to achieve and the audiences we are seeking to reach;
• we work closely with a specialist media planning and buying agency to determine the appropriate advertising mix and spend to meet our goals and reach our audiences; and
• key performance indicators are set, based on the campaign's goals and requirements to measure the impact of the campaign.

The criteria that we take into consideration in making advertising decision and awarding advertising contracts are:

• media consumption data and ability to reach target audiences;
• adherence to EU and national procurement rules, regulations and guidelines;
• the use of Office of Government Procurement (OGP) frameworks, where available;
• value-for-money;
• appropriate geographical spread;
• statutory requirements in relation to public notices;
• statutory requirements in relation to Irish language advertising; and
• available budget and resources.

Reporting on 2025 expenditure will commence in 2026.