Publications Archive

The EU Commission is planning to ban geo-blocking and other discrimination based on nationality, place of residence or establishment in order to improve cross-border online trade in goods and services. In cep's view, the bans will only rarely result in customers buying more across borders.

The Commission wants to press ahead with the standardisation of information and communications technology (ICT). It is focussing, in this regard, on the "priorities" of cloud computing, the internet of things, 5G communications, cybersecurity and data technologies. In cep's view, setting priorities is appropriate.

In view of the changing media landscape, the Commission wants to revise the rules on the provision of audiovisual media services and video-sharing platforms. In this regard, it proposes the harmonisation of competition rules applicable to television programmes and video-on-demand services. In cep's view, this is appropriate because both media services are in competition with one another.

In addition to online sales of goods, the EU Commission also wants to boost the market for digital content and ensure that it can also be offered and acquired across borders. With the proposed Directive, it wants to fully harmonise the guarantee rights and other consumer rights in contracts relating to the supply of digital content and thereby remove legal uncertainty and promote sales of digital content.

The Commission wants to create a European Open Science Cloud, strengthen data infrastructure and invest in quantum technologies. A European Cloud, in cep's view, contributes to the efficiency and quality of research. Success, however, depends on information actually being put in the Cloud.

The European Commission wants to speed up the digitisation of European industry and calls, inter alia, for an EU-wide network of "Digital Innovation Hubs". These will help small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, to develop digital innovations more easily. In cep's view, public funds should not be channelled into such "Hubs".

Subscriptions to films and other online content will also be available for use during temporary stays in another Member State. This is provided for under a EU Commission proposal for a Regulation on the cross-border portability of online content. Until now, this has been prevented inter alia by national copyrights and licences.

In the presence of EU-Commission Guenther Oettinger, cep has presented in Brussels its latest study on competition challenges in the consumer internet industry.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has declared that the completion of a Digital Single Market is one of the priorities of his period of office. With the Digital Single Market Strategy, the Commission wants to make the EU the leader of the digital economy. A central pillar of this strategy is the building of a "data economy" (Big Data, cloud services, Internet of Things).

The European Commission will harmonise the contractual rights of both parties in online purchasing EU wide. In addition, it will submit legislative proposals to prevent "unjustified geo-blocking". Geo-blocking is a technical measure used by online traders to restrict access to cross-border online purchasing by users in a specific geographical location.