Setting the Right Expectations and Legal Certainty. The VideoTalk with Andreas Schwab (IMCO Committee)

“Setting the Right Expectations and Legal Certainty. The role of Regulatory Dialogue and Compliance Guidance in the DMA”. This is the title of the VideoTalk held on September 23 that saw the participation of Mr Andreas Schwab, Rapporteur on DMA of the IMCO Committee, as guest speaker.

After some introductory remarks, I-Com President Stefano da Empoli, gave the floor to Andreas Schwab, for his keynote speech. A panel discussion then followed, opened by Chiara Caccinelli, Co-Chair of Market & Economic Analysis WG, BEREC. The other panelists included: Vanessa Turner, Senior Advisor for Competition, BEUC; Christoph Riedmann, Policy Advisor for Digital Policy, Eurochambres; Luc Hendrickx, Director for Competitiveness of Enterprises and Legal Affairs, SMEunited; Stefan Moritz, Managing Director, CEA-PME European Entrepreneurs; Christian Borggreen, Vice President and Head of Brussels Office, CCIA Europe; Benedikt Blomeyer-Bartenstein, EU Policy Director, Allied for Startups; Kamila Sotomska, Deputy Director, Polish Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers (ZPP); Giovanni Zazzerini, Secretary General, International Network for SMEs, INSME; and Anke Schuster, Policy Officer for Digital Europe, European Committee of the Regions. Finally, after a brief exchange of views among the panelists, Mr. da Empoli wrapped up the event and left the concluding remarks to the Rapporteur, before thanking the discussants and the public for taking part in the VideoTalk.

The event offered a forum to discuss the key issue of the new obligations arising from the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that will fall upon the so-called « gatekeepers », i.e., large systemic online platforms with a strong economic, intermediation and durable position in the market. Such new obligations would be enforced by the European Commission, which would be provided with market investigation powers, with the possibility of imposing sanctions in the form of fines or periodic penalty payments on these actors. In light of this, it is of great importance for the digital market economy that guidance for platforms on compliance with DMA rules is ensured. This highlights the importance of putting in place a regulatory dialogue with gatekeepers so that these new rules are tailored and effectively implemented.

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