During the EP plenary session (5-8 February 2018) in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on new rules for better cross-border access for online buyers of products, hotel bookings, car rentals or concert tickets. Traders will have to treat online shoppers from another EU country in the same way as local customers, i.e. grant them access to the same prices or sales conditions. Statements by Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL), Rapporteur, Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Digital Single Market, and Dita CHARANZOVÁ (ALDE, CZ). Illustrative shots: man browsing and shoping online, comparing prizes and being redirected and geo-blocked.

Free movement of services (T2)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

CHARANZOVÁ, Dita (Renew, CZ)

ANSIP, Andrus (Renew, EE)

consumers' protection (T)

THUN UND HOHENSTEIN, Róża (Renew, PL)

Free movement of goods (T2)

Geo-blocking (T)

Geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (Polish), R&#243;&#380;a Gr&#228;fin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL), Rapporteur, Thanks to the new law, each of us will feel specific changes for the better. Well, tomorrow we vote: - No more refusal to sell goods or services online because of the place of residence or nationality of the client; - The end of technical barriers in access to websites and applications; - No more automatic redirection to the seller's website in another country, without the client's consent; - No more use of the same conditions for the sale of goods and services in the same store, including prices, depending on nationality or place of residence; - No more refusal to sell due to the country where the credit card was issued.

SOUNDBITE (Polish), R&oacute;ża Gr&auml;fin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL), Rapporteur, We have been cooperating with the EC to incorporate at least non-AV contents protected by copyright into this regulation. E-books, music, software, games. Unfortunately, we have not managed to overcome the resistance of the Council. I am grateful to my colleagues for cooperation and compromise, because thanks to this geo-blocking of physical products goes to the past!

SOUNDBITE (English), Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Digital Single Market, The geoblocking regulation lies at the heart of the e-commerce package that we designed to remove barriers for consumers and companies trading online. It will end artificial segmentation and unjustified discrimination based on nationality or residence. Finally using either of these as a reason to deny access to websites, goods and services will no longer have a place in Europe&rsquo;s single market either online or offline.

SOUNDBITE (English), Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Digital Single Market, Our aim is that by Christmas all Europeans will be able to enjoy online shopping without being blocked, rerouted or discriminated against.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dita CHARANZOV&#193; (ALDE, CZ), This regulation is a good first step. No longer can Disneyland say that French can get cheaper tickets than Czechs, this regulation fixes this. No longer can a company redirect customers without their consent. If I ask for a German website I want a German website, not the Czech one. This regulation fixes this. No longer can a company refuse because a credit card is issued in another country. If I go shopping in Austria my visa card is just as good as an Austrian visa card.

Illustrative shots - man browsing and shoping online, comparing prizes and being redirected and geo-blocked.