Policy Activity and Public Affairs
Adevinta supports, directly and via trade associations and alliances, legislative initiatives under the EU Green Deal or at national level, where these align with the Paris Agreement.
We engage with governments and EU institutions to develop public policies, as well as with professional associations and alliances whose members share best practice and promote the role of the tech and classifieds industries in economic and sustainable development.
We support regulatory initiatives that foster a circular economy by extending the lifecycle of products and promoting reuse and sale of second-hand goods. In 2023, these included the Right to Repair, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, the inclusion of second-hand marketplaces in the second delegated act of the EU Taxonomy, and the introduction of a reduced VAT rate for second hand sales.
Key areas of public policies we have contributed to include:
- The necessity of open markets and fair competition to support sustainable growth of European Union tech champions
- The need for long-term and stable policy frameworks fostering the growth of digital services, while protecting users
- The importance of ensuring the green digital transition
As a leading online classifieds group operating digital marketplaces in ten countries, we ensure that any lobbying activity complies with all applicable laws and transparency requirements, including Global Reporting Initiative standards.
All our Public Affairs activities, including associations and alliance memberships, are overseen by our Public Affairs Team, which ensures the alignment of our lobbying activities with our role in the circular economy. In our Code of Ethical Conduct (Code), we specify that all political and lobbying activities, including meetings with government officials, must be coordinated by our Public Affairs Team, which reports weekly to our Executive Team.
The Code also outlines that Adevinta can only make charitable payments or political donations to legitimate registered organisations. Payments must not, under any circumstances, be made to influence a business outcome. All charitable payments or political donations must be approved by the local CEO, CFO and Board, and recorded in our financial statements.
In 2023, we spent approximately €519,979 (2022: €460,000) on external lobbying services, which represented 0.03% (2022: 0.03%) of our annual turnover. Approximately 75% of total expenditure went to trade association memberships that serve business purposes, as opposed to political activity.
Adevinta is registered in the European Union Transparency Register and the Lobby Register of the German Bundestag. Adevinta France is registered in the Lobby register of the Haute Autorité pour la transparence de la vie publique in France.
Adevinta is a member in the following EU Trade associations: Classifieds Marketplaces Europe, European Tech Alliance, Ecommerce Europe and IAB Europe as well as in various national trade associations via its local brands.
Actions in 2024
In 2024, our Public Affairs activities will focus in particular on the European elections by supporting an EU policy framework that enhances competitiveness and fosters innovation in the tech and second-hand sector. Adevinta CEO, Antoine Jouteau, has kicked off 2024 as the newly elected President of the European Tech Alliance, promoting its 2030 Vision: a European strategy for tech. Jointly with our partners in the CME we have worked on a EU2030 Roadmap on “How to make second-hand the first choice in Europe”.