On 6 April 2022 MEPs backed new legislation to increase the availability of data for start-ups and businesses to stimulate innovation. The Data Governance Act (DGA), already agreed by MEPs with EU governments, aims to boost data sharing and help unlock the potential of Artificial Intelligence. It establishes new EU rules on the neutrality of data marketplaces, facilitates the reuse of certain data held by the public sector - e.g. certain health, agricultural or environmental data - and creates common European data spaces in strategic domains, including health, environment, energy, agriculture, mobility, finance, manufacturing, public administration and skills.

 
The overall objective of the proposed regulation is to give customers better access to goods and services in the single market.

Geo-blocking

As of 3 December 2018, Europeans are able to shop online without unjustified geo-blocking, wherever they are in the EU.

For citizens this means that they are able to buy their new electrical goods online, rent a car or get their concert tickets across borders as they do at home. Consumers no longer face barriers such as being asked to pay with a debit or credit card issued in another country. For businesses, this means more legal certainty to operate cross-border.

#EUelections2019 - Geo-blocking

EP Plenary session -  Evaluation of the Geo-blocking Regulation

Plenary session - Supply of digital content and online sales of goods

EP Press conference - Life after geo-blocking : a quick guide for traders and consumers

Extraordinary Lex signing ceremony on Geo-blocking Regulation

Plenary session week 06 2018 - Geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment

Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL), rapporteur and Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Digital Single Market, speak to the press about geoblocking, during the plenary session (22-25/10/2018) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Press conference by Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL), rapporteur and Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Digital Single Market, on Life after geoblocking: a quick guide for traders and consumers

Antonio TAJANI, EP President and Lilyana PAVLOVA, Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council, sign legislative acts on geo-blocking, in the EP in Brussels, in presence of Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL), Rapporteur and Anneleen VAN BOSSUYT (ECR, BE), IMCO Chair.

Extraordinary Lex signing ceremony on Geo-blocking Regulation: signature by Antonio TAJANI, EP President and Lilyana PAVLOVA, Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council

Róża THUN (EPP, PL), rapporteur and Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Digital Single Market, speak to the press about geo-blocking during the EP plenary session (5-8 February 2018) in Strasbourg.

Press conference by Róża THUN (EPP, PL), rapporteur and Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Digital Single Market, on Geo-blocking – final vote in plenary

Votes during the plenary session on the request for waiver of the immunity of Steeve Briois, on EU-Brazil Agreement, on the setting up a special committee on the Union’s authorisation procedure for pesticides, on the reform of geo-blocking, on the Cost-effective emission reductions and low-carbon investments, on the European Central Bank Annual Report for 2016 and on clean energy.

EP Plenary session - Votes

During the EP plenary session (5-8 February 2018) in Strasbourg, MEPs vote new rules to better cross-border access for online buyers to 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. The results from the vote are: 557 in favour, 89 against and 33 abstentions. Illustrative shots

Geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment: extracts from the vote, statement by Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL), rapporteur and illustrative shots

Opening statement by the rapporteur on geo-blocking reform by Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Digital Single Market

(2) Geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment: Opening statement by Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Digital Single Market (20:15-20:20)

Opening statement by the rapporteur on geo-blocking reform, Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP,PL).

(1) Geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment: Opening statement by Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP,PL), Rapporteur (20:10-20:15)

Closing statements of the debate on the reform of Geo-blocking by Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Digital Single Market by Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP,PL), Rapporteur.

Geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment: Closing statements by Andrus ANSIP, Vice-President of the EC and Róża Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP,PL), Rapporteur

This infoclip illustrates the existing measure that prevents the young people to visit websites providing a content inadequate for their age.

Infoclip: A safer internet: parental control

Illustrative images on online shopping with customers browsing, comparing prizes and being re-routed to a different website due to the principle of geo-blocking.

Infoclip: e-commerce

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.

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

Meeting of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) in the EP in Brussels. MEPs vote on new draft rules to ensure that consumers buying goods (e.g. household appliances) or services (e.g. car rental) from another EU country, whether online or in person, are not discriminated with regard to general terms and conditions, including prices, on the basis of their nationality or place of residence. Statement by Róza Gräfin von THUN UND HOHENSTEIN (EPP, PL). The results from the final vote are: 36 votes, 29 in favour, 3 against, 4 abstentions. And for the the vote on the opening of institutional negotiations, the results are: 33 votes, 30 in favour, 2 against and 1 absention.

Geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence: extracts from the vote on the report by Róza Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein (EPP, PL)

This infoclip illustrates online and internet e-commerce, copyright and access to content, data protection. Source: European Commission http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?sitelang=en&ref=I100257

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