Approval of Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act - Hoofdinhoud
At the formal meeting of the Competitiveness Council, the European Union member states unanimously approved the general approaches to the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA), which will significantly shape our digital future. This is an outstanding achievement of the Slovenian Presidency and the ministers Zdravko Počivalšek, Boštjan Koritnik and Mark Boris Andrijanič.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) creates a level playing field for all businesses and competitive digital markets, which means that business users who rely on large platforms, so-called gatekeepers, to offer their services will find it easier to compete with the large platforms. The DMA also sets out certain obligations and prohibitions to be respected by large platforms ("gatekeepers") that give businesses access to consumers. This will give all companies the opportunity to compete fairly in the digital markets, bring more choice for consumers, more opportunities to change providers, and fairer prices. The Regulation lays down harmonised rules for the whole of the EU i, which allow for rapid and efficient application and will be uniformly enforced by the European Commission. The regulation of digital markets brought in by the Regulation will enable the growth of competitiveness and the development of new and innovative products for all companies.
As Minister Počivalšek emphasised at the adoption of the Digital Markets Act: "Today we have reached an important milestone in creating a more open and more competitive and fair digital market. The Slovenian Presidency has worked intensively with the member states and the Commission to find an appropriate compromise and further improve the DMA's goal of ensuring fair and competitive digital markets. We are very pleased with the progress of the Council negotiations on the DMA and proud that the member states today unanimously supported the general approach to the DMA. This shows that the EU is strongly committed to creating clear rights and obligations for large online platforms in order to ensure fair competition online. The DMA proposal shows our common, European readiness and ambition to adopt legislation regulating digital markets and services. We hope that this will set a new trend for the whole world to follow."
The Digital Services Act (DSA) delivers an ambitious reform of the digital space and introduces a comprehensive set of new rules for all digital services. The harmonised rules on digital services and intermediary platforms will better protect consumers and contribute to a safer online environment and the fight against illegal online content. Regulating online platforms, especially very large ones, will significantly improve the mechanism for removing illegal online content and help protect fundamental human rights online, including freedom of speech. The ambitious reform of the digital space and the comprehensive package of new rules for all digital services, including social media, online marketplaces and other online platforms, will promote innovation, growth and competitiveness, and provide users with new, better and reliable online services.
"With the Digital Services Act we have set an important milestone today, which will transform the EU's digital sphere and create a safer and more open online space for all citizens. The regulation adopted today will lead us to navigate the web with the same degree of certainty, security and trust in online services and products as we do in the physical world," stressed Minister Andrijanič.
The adopted texts of DMA and DSA constitute a good basis for trilogues with the European Parliament and the European Commission, which could start in the beginning of the next year and be concluded during the French presidency of the Council of the European Union.
At the end of the meeting, Minister Počivalšek highlighted the progress made in relation to the proposals for the directive on corporate sustainability reporting and the directive on consumer credits. He thanked the delegation and the Commission for their sound and constructive cooperation, which enabled the competent working groups to make considerable progress on both dossiers. The Slovenian Presidency thus made it possible for the next presidency to quickly achieve a general approach for both directives. "We believe that we have drafted a good compromise text that will serve as a basis for the next presidency to finalise these dossiers," concluded Minister Počivalšek.
Competitiveness Council (Internal market and industry), 25 November 2021