Commentary on Sections Advertising Section 12: Ban on advertising within event zones
23.This section makes it an offence to advertise within an event zone at particular times during the period of the Euro 2020 Championship (the “advertising offence”). The Scottish Ministers are given a duty to make further provision in regulations about advertising in event zones, including by setting out exceptions to the offence, examples of which are given in subsection (3).
24.This list of examples includes advertising to commemorate events or publicise political campaigns, and advertising to which the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (Scotland) Regulations 1984/467 do not apply (because, for instance, it forms part of the fabric of a building). However, these exceptions are subject to the provision in subsection (4) that nothing in the advertising regulations can allow anyone to knowingly participate in ambush marketing.
25.Subsection (5) provides that the offence also does not apply to advertising by UEFA, although the advertising regulations may require it to comply with prescribed conditions.