The European telecommunications industry welcomes the European Parliament’s adoption of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), resulting from the co-legislators’ provisional agreements earlier this year. Today’s vote confirms Europe’s political commitment and vision to shape the societal and economic dynamics of digital platform ecosystems in line with its value system.
The GSMA and ETNO congratulate the EU Institutions for making the DSA’s guiding mantra – that what is illegal offline should be illegal online – a reality in Europe. We particularly applaud their efforts to strike the balance between preventing the spread of illegal material online and the respect of fundamental rights, by recognising that intermediaries should bear responsibilities proportionate to their role in disseminating such material. We are confident that the provisions enshrined in the DSA, including the measures aiming at tackling disinformation, will help in fighting the erosion of trust that EU citizens and our societies are experiencing.
The telecom industry has long advocated for the need to ensure fairness and contestability in digital markets. This objective is fully reflected in the final text of the DMA, which empowers the Commission with the ability to designate firms as digital gatekeepers, subject to upfront prohibitions and obligations to remedy such unfair behaviours. Once in force, the DMA will create new opportunities for market entrants to compete on an equal footing, with benefits for innovation and consumer choice.
These two pieces of legislation together mark a significant step forward to restoring a level-playing in the internet value chain, and we encourage the EU Institutions to keep pursuing this goal for the remainder of the present mandate. We look forward to the upcoming initiatives aimed at ensuring that all relevant market actors make a fair and proportionate contribution to the costs digital infrastructure, true to the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade.
The GSMA and ETNO will rely on the European Commission and national authorities to guarantee the effective enforcement of the DSA and the DMA, and will remain vigilant to ensure their implementation lives up to their promises.