18 / LEGAL & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
WHETHER IT IS HELPING members to comply with UK
codes and laws, enabling them to protect their content,
maintaining a zero VAT level for print media, ensuring
routes to market remain open, campaigning against
nonsensical ad bans or beating the drum for press
freedom, the legal and public affairs team works hard
to see that members’interests are protected and their
opinions heard.
As well as maintaining an extensive
lobbying programme directed at
the UK and Brussels Parliaments,
the UK civil service and the EU
Commission, the legal and public
affairs team has fought back
attacks on editorial freedom and
advertising. Some of the areas
include: self-regulation of the
press, freedom of information, jail
sentences for infringement of the
data protection act and for laws
on payments to criminals for their
stories, as well as whether a
pan-EU VAT rate should apply
to all print media.
Its role is not only outwardfacing.
The legal and public affairs
team has ensured members are
able to stay informed about the
law and voluntary codes by
holding seminars and lunchtime
discussions on data protection,
advertising regulation, teen
magazines, mergers and
acquisitions, EU consumer law,
intellectual property and the
Press Complaints Commission.
“As well as maintaining an extensive
lobbying programme directed at the UK and
Brussels Parliaments, the UK civil service
and the EU Commission, the legal and
public affairs team has fought back attacks
on editorial freedom and advertising.”
ADDINGVALUE
VAT
The European Commission
produced a report calling for a
harmonised reduced rate of VAT
across the whole of the EU. PPA
through its membership of FAEP
made it clear that this was
unacceptable and that member
states should be able to decide what
their reduced rates should be. PPA
also helped to secure from the new
Brown Government a commitment
to zero rates for all print media.
ADVERTISING
PPA was part of the group which
negotiated new Code of Advertising
Practice rules on the advertising of
food to children. The resulting code
change is a sensible response to
Governmental concerns. It
PPA Annual Review 2007-08
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