We received a question asking whether a Russian company is allowed to advertise in the EU. No, that is not permitted, the Dutch RVO states, as a result of the EU sanctions package.
Article 5 quindecies (English: 5n) paragraph 2a of the consolidated Regulation (EU) 833/2014 contains the following prohibition:
It is prohibited to provide services in the field of market and opinion research, technical tests and analyses, and advertising to:
a) the Government of Russia; or
b) legal persons, entities, or bodies established in Russia. In the EU FAQ on business services, this prohibition is briefly explained:
As of 4 June 2022, it is prohibited to provide, directly or indirectly, accounting, auditing, including statutory audit, bookkeeping and tax consulting services, as well as business and management consulting or public relations services (Article 5n of Council Regulation 833/2014) to the Russian government, as well as to legal persons such as companies and other entities or bodies established in Russia.
It is therefore prohibited to advertise for companies in Russia, unless an exception in Article 5 quindecies applies. In practice, this concerns very exceptional cases.
We regret the decision of the European Union because, in our opinion, Russian companies and civilians should not be suffering from decisions of the Russian government.
