UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Act 2026

Introductory

Meaning of key terms

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• (1) In this Act—

• the “Championship” means the UEFA European Championship that is to be held, in part, in Glasgow,

• the “Championship period” means the period specified in regulations made by the Scottish Ministers,

• a “Championship ticket” means any ticket, card, electronic device or other thing which entitles an individual to attend a football match which is held as part of the Championship (whether or not held in Scotland),

• an “event zone” means— the Hampden Park zone, or any other zone in Glasgow, as defined in regulations made by the Scottish Ministers,

• “prohibited time” means a time during the Championship period that is— a prohibited time for the purpose of the trading offence, or a prohibited time for the purpose of the advertising offence, as specified in regulations made by the Scottish Ministers.

• (2) Other terms and expressions used in this Act are set out in section 38.

Ticket touting

Ban on ticket touting

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• (1) It is an offence to tout a Championship ticket (“the touting offence”).

• (2) A person touts a Championship ticket if the person does any act falling within subsection (3)—

• (a) in relation to the sale, or proposed sale, of a Championship ticket for an amount exceeding the ticket’s face value, or

• (b) with a view to making a profit.

• (3) Acts which fall within this subsection are—

• (a) selling a Championship ticket,

• (b) offering to sell a Championship ticket,

• (c) exposing a Championship ticket for sale,

• (d) advertising that a Championship ticket is available for purchase,

• (e) making a Championship ticket available for sale by another person, and

• (f) giving away (or offering to give away) a Championship ticket on condition that the person given the ticket—

• (i) pays a booking fee or other charge, or

• (ii) acquires some other goods or services.

• (4) The touting offence does not apply in relation to acts falling within subsection (3) done by—

• (a) UEFA, or

• (b) a person acting in accordance with an authorisation granted by UEFA.

• (5) The amount payable for a Championship ticket is to be treated as including—

• (a) the amount of any booking fee or other charge imposed as a condition of sale,

• (b) the amount payable for any other goods or services which are to be acquired as a condition of sale, and

• (c) the market value of any goods or services received in exchange for the ticket.

• (6) The reference in subsection (2)(b) to making a profit is, where the act is done by a person other than the person disposing of the ticket, to be read as a reference to assisting the person disposing of the ticket to make or attempt to make a profit.

Exception for charity auctions

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• (1) The touting offence does not apply in relation to the sale of a Championship ticket in an auction conducted—

• (a) by a charity, or

• (b) by a person other than a charity, provided that the proceeds of the ticket’s sale are given to a charity.

• (2) In subsection (1), “charity” means—

• (a) a body which is registered—

• (i) in the Scottish Charity Register,

• (ii) in the register kept under section 16 of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008,

• (iii) in relation to the Republic of Ireland, in the register kept under section 39 of the Charities Act 2009, or

• (iv) in the register kept under section 29 of the Charities Act 2011, or

• (b) a body which—

• (i) is established under the law of any territory outwith Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland,

• (ii) is managed or controlled wholly or mainly outwith Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, and

• (iii) meets the condition mentioned in subsection (3) or the condition mentioned in subsection (4).

• (3) The condition is that the body is registered in a register corresponding to the Scottish Charity Register.

• (4) The condition is that, if there is no such register in the territory where the body is established—

• (a) the body’s purposes consist only of one or more of the charitable purposes mentioned in section 7(2) of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005, and

• (b) the body provides public benefit to be construed in accordance with section 8 of that Act.

Exception for certain advertisers etc.

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A person (“A”) who advertises that a Championship ticket is available for purchase from, or makes a ticket available for sale by, another person (“B”) does not commit the touting offence if—

• (a) the proposed ticket sale would constitute a touting offence only because B intends to—

• (i) sell the ticket for an amount exceeding the ticket’s face value, or

• (ii) make a profit as a result of the sale, and

• (b) A does not, and could not reasonably be expected to, know B’s intention.

Exceptions for providers of information society services etc.

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• (1) Section 2 (ban on ticket touting) is subject to schedule 1 (exceptions for providers of information society services etc.).

• (2) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations modify schedule 1.

• (3) Regulations under subsection (2) may specify further circumstances in which making facilities available in connection with electronic communications or the storage of data is, or is not, to be capable of constituting the touting offence.

Street trading etc.

Ban on outdoor trading within event zones

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• (1) It is an offence to trade within an event zone at a prohibited time (“the trading offence”).

• (2) The trading offence does not apply to—

• (a) trading in a building, or

• (b) the types of trading specified in schedule 2.

• (3) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations (“the trading regulations”)—

• (a) modify schedule 2,

• (b) make such further provision as they consider appropriate in relation to trading within event zones.

• (4) The trading offence does not apply to trading done by UEFA if that trading is done in accordance with any conditions imposed by the trading regulations.

Trading activities and places

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• (1) An activity is to be treated as trading if it is the sale or offer for sale, in an open public place, of an article or service.

• (2) For the purpose of subsection (1), any of the following acts done in an open public place are to be treated as trading (except as exempted or permitted in schedule 2 or in the trading regulations by virtue of section 6(3) or 8(1))—

• (a) selling an article,

• (b) supplying a service,

• (c) making an appeal to members of the public to give money or other property (or both) for charitable or other purposes (whether authorised or not under any enactment),

• (d) providing public entertainment for gain or reward.

• (3) The trading regulations may prescribe, or provide criteria for determining—

• (a) activities which are (or are not) to be treated as trading for the purpose of the trading offence,

• (b) places or areas within an event zone where the trading offence will not apply, and

• (c) alternative arrangements for existing street traders during the times when the trading offence applies.

• (4) In this Act, an “existing street trader” is any person—

• (a) to whom a trading licence has been granted by Glasgow City Council authorising the person to trade at a place in Glasgow City Council’s area prior to the date on which this Act receives Royal Assent and which remains in force on that date, and

• (b) who would, but for this Act, be entitled to trade within an event zone during the times when the trading offence applies.

Trading permitted in prescribed circumstances

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• (1) The trading regulations may prescribe, or provide criteria for determining, circumstances in which trading which would otherwise constitute a trading offence is permitted.

• (2) Trading may, for example, be permitted by reference to—

• (a) the person who is trading,

• (b) the nature of the trading,

• (c) the purpose of the trading, or

• (d) the application of any profits.

Existing trading licences

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It is not a defence for a person charged with the trading offence that the person has a trading licence, whether granted before or after this section comes into force.

Alternative arrangements where existing trading banned during Championship

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Glasgow City Council must offer alternative trading arrangements to existing street traders during the times when the trading offence applies.

Guidance and information about trading

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• (1) Glasgow City Council must issue guidance about trading within event zones.

• (2) The trading regulations may require such persons as are specified in the trading regulations to inform other persons about the effect or likely effect of section 6 and the trading regulations.

Advertising

Ban on advertising within event zones

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• (1) It is an offence to advertise within an event zone at a prohibited time (“the advertising offence”).

• (2) The advertising offence does not apply to the types of advertising specified in schedule 3.

• (3) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations (“the advertising regulations”)—

• (a) amend but not repeal paragraph 1 of schedule 3,

• (b) modify paragraphs 2 to 6 of schedule 3,

• (c) make such further provision as they consider appropriate in relation to advertising within event zones.

• (4) Nothing in the advertising regulations is to permit any person to knowingly participate in ambush marketing.

• (5) The advertising offence does not apply to advertising by UEFA if that advertising is done in accordance with any conditions imposed by the advertising regulations.

Advertising activities and places

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• (1) An activity is to be treated as advertising if it is a communication to the public (or to a section of the public) for the purpose of promoting an item, service, business or other concern.

• (2) Any of the following acts done for that purpose are to be treated as advertising (except as exempted or permitted by schedule 3 or in the advertising regulations by virtue of section 12(3) or 14(1))—

• (a) advertising of a non-commercial nature,

• (b) announcements or notices,

• (c) the giving away of any goods or services,

• (d) the distribution or provision of documents or articles,

• (e) the display or projection of words, images, lights or sounds,

• (f) things done with or in relation to material which has or may have purposes or uses other than as an advertisement.

• (3) The advertising regulations may prescribe, or provide criteria for determining—

• (a) activities which are (or are not) to be treated as advertising for the purposes of the advertising offence, and

• (b) places or areas within an event zone where the advertising offence will not apply.

Advertising permitted in prescribed circumstances

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• (1) The advertising regulations may prescribe, or provide criteria for determining, circumstances in which advertising which would otherwise constitute an advertising offence is permitted.

• (2) Advertising may, for example, be permitted by reference to—

• (a) the person who is advertising,

• (b) the nature of the advertising,

• (c) the purpose of the advertising, or

• (d) the circumstances of its display.

Existing advertising licences

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• (1) It is not a defence for a person charged with the advertising offence that the person has an advertising licence whether granted before or after this section comes into force.

• (2) In subsection (1), “advertising licence” includes any kind of consent, certificate, permission or other authorisation (by whatever name) which relates to advertising.

Guidance and information about advertising

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• (1) Glasgow City Council must issue guidance about advertising within event zones.

• (2) The advertising regulations may require such persons as are specified in the advertising regulations to inform other persons about the effect or likely effect of section 12 and the advertising regulations.

Enforcement powers

Enforcement officers

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• (1) An “enforcement officer” is—

• (a) an individual who—

• (i) is employed by Glasgow City Council, and

• (ii) is, in the Council’s view, sufficiently experienced in exercising functions of the kind conferred on enforcement officers by this Act, or

• (b) an individual designated as such in accordance with subsection (2).

• (2) Glasgow City Council may designate an individual as an enforcement officer only if the individual—

• (a) is an inspector of weights and measures (appointed under section 72(1) of the Weights and Measures Act 1985),

• (b) is authorised by a local authority to enforce the provisions of section 92 of the Trade Marks Act 1994, or

• (c) is employed by another local authority and is, in the Council’s view, sufficiently experienced in exercising functions of the kind conferred on enforcement officers by this Act.

General enforcement powers

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• (1) An enforcement officer may take such reasonable steps as the officer considers necessary—

• (a) for the purpose of preventing or ending the commission of an offence under this Act (a “Championship offence”), or

• (b) in connection with proceedings, or anticipated proceedings, in respect of a Championship offence.

• (2) Such steps may include seizing, concealing or destroying anything which the officer reasonably believes to be an infringing article (but see sections 19, 20 and 21).

• (3) An “infringing article” is—