The ECON commission meeting gathers Commission, Parliament and Council representatives with Members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR)
The members of the
CoR's commission for economic policy (ECON)
support a tougher regulatory stance on large internet platforms in their
draft opinion
on the Digital Services Act package. In presence of the European Parliament, European Commission and Council, the ECON commission members have also shown their concern that the UN's
Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and their accomplishment by 2030 are not taken seriously enough by the European Commission. To encourage the Commission to step up its political engagement in this matter, they adopted the draft opinion
Delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 .
The legislation included in the
Digital Services Act package
proposes a stronger regulation of large internet platforms that have come
to fundamentally change the structures, rules and power-balances of online
market spaces and public discourses. It seeks to re-establish a fair
competition between companies in a levelled digital environment and to
counter the unrestrained spread of disinformation by enforcing platforms'
responsibility. As many of the sectors in which online platforms play a
dominant role, such as urban transport, housing and tourist accommodation,
are regulated at the local and regional level, the opinion is of particular
importance to the CoR. The Digital Services Act package is composed by two
legislative initiatives: the Digital Services Act (DSA) itself and the
Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Rodi Kratsa
(EL/EPP), Governor of the Ionian Islands region and rapporteur on the CoR
opinion, said: "
The 'Digital Services Act' and the 'Digital Markets Act' are the two
main pillars of the European digital strategy. Furthermore, they will
constitute the integrated framework that the European Union needs in
order to create new opportunities to provide cross-border digital and
e-commerce services to all Europeans. During the drafting process, on
behalf of the European Committee of the Regions, we collected and
compiled opinions and suggestions from all market stakeholders, without
discounts on important issues such as user and consumer protection.
"
The European Parliament's rapporteur on the Digital Markets Act,
Andreas Schwab
(EPP/DE), joined the discussion saying: "
For many years some big digital players have been imposing their
business models on the 'new promised lands' such as digital markets:
like that they have enforced their position in the European single
market without having anyone else who could fairly compete. It is time
for the EU legislator to take over. As European Parliament, we have
been asking for this since 2014 and finally the Commission has
published the two proposals on DSA and DMA. We need to achieve fair
competition to make the single market flourish, a wider consumer choice
and more innovation, in order to have 'plurality' and to reach a level
playing field in the EU single market
."
The ECON commission's members also adopted the draft opinion "Delivering on
the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030", aiming to encourage the
European Commission to reinforce the position of the SDGs as guiding
principles for EU-policy in the coming decade. Members advocated for the
SDGs as an expression of European core values and European identity.
Ricardo Rio
(PT/EPP), Mayor of Braga and CoR rapporteur on the opinion, said: “
There is growing interest from my fellow elected representatives in
cities and regions for the integration of the SDGs at the core of their
long term strategies and daily political decisions. We have observed a
gradual decline of the SDGs' centrality in the EU‘s narrative. This is
the moment to give a boost to the SDGs and reinstate them at the core
of the EU directives and policies. This opinion is the result of a long
process of engagement with a diverse group of stakeholders and is the
proof of the CoR’s commitment to fulfil the 2030 Agenda.
”
Frances Fitzgerald
(IE/EPP), Vice Chair of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and member
of the EP's economic committee, took part in the ECON discussion and said:
"
It is encouraging to see the ambition shown in the European Committee
of the Regions' draft opinion on delivering on the sustainable
development goals by 2030. Achieving the sustainable development goals
must be prioritised by all EU Member States, particularly as we
continue to deal with the COVID-19 crisis and as we work towards
climate neutrality by 2050. Through Next Generation EU and the Recovery
and Resilience Facility, we have a vital opportunity to build back
better by advancing and reinforcing the Sustainable Development Goals.
"
The two opinions are scheduled to be adopted by the CoR's plenary during
its next session from 30 June to 2 July.
In addition, the CoR's ECON commission appointed
Martine Pinville
(FR/PES), regional councillor of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, as a rapporteur on the
own initiative opinion on protecting industrial and craft geographical
indications in the European Union, and
Tadeusz Truskolaski
(PL/EA), Mayor of Białystok, as rapporteur on the 2020 Competition Policy
Report.