The landmark EU digital rules oblige online companies to protect users from illegal content, increase accountability and limit the market power of tech giants. Parliament holds the final vote on the new Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA), two key bills aiming to address the societal and economic effects of the tech industry by setting standards. The two rapporteurs, Andreas Schwab and Christel Schaldemose, explain the main changes in users and businesses' daily lives.

Final vote on Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA): extracts from the debate and the vote, statements by Andreas Schwab (EPP, DE), Rapporteur on DMA and by Christel Schaldemose (S&D, DK), Rapporteur on DSA

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/46103688/1657016871777_I228135Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

Title: Final vote on Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA): extracts from the debate and the vote, statements by Andreas Schwab (EPP, DE), Rapporteur on DMA and by Christel Schaldemose (S&amp;D, DK), Rapporteur on DSA

SOUNDBITE (English), Andreas SCHWAB (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, The Digital Markets Act will introduce a new era of tech legislation because we will be starting with the change of burden of proof, and in the future it will be the big tech companies that will have to prove to authorities that they abide by the law and it will not be any more the European Commission running behind the companies, proving the errors that they are doing, and that will be very important because it's a general change of paradigm.

SOUNDBITE (English), Andreas SCHWAB (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, There is a list of do's and don'ts of rules and obligations in Article five and six, which is some sort of retrospective confirmation of what has been the key of competition policy procedures in the last 20 years.

SOUNDBITE (English), Andreas SCHWAB (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, The European Union, for sure, will be a leader on regulation in that area. And as it's very close to the general reflection of existing competition policy procedures, it will be quite easy for other jurisdictions to follow us on this. And therefore I think there is a good chance that you can set a gold standard for diversity of opinions, for fairness in business and for equality.

SOUNDBITE (English), Andreas SCHWAB (EPP, DE), Rapporteur, As these new rules will only focus gatekeepers the biggest companies of the world, there will be no bureaucratic impact on small companies. They will rather help small companies to grow as gatekeepers have to open their marketplaces, their markets and their services.

SOUNDBITE (English), Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&amp;D, DK), Rapporteur, The next step will be that we have to wait until the law is applicable, meaning that it will work. And we expect that for the very large online platforms that will be the case next spring, so spring 2023. And then the EU Commission, which will be responsible for enforcement of the very large online platform, they have to start doing their job. And then of the 1st of January 2024, the rest will be applicable and then the member states have to start doing their job.

SOUNDBITE (English), Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&amp;D, DK), Rapporteur, Mostly, I could say that the Internet, the platforms will become safer, more fair and more transparent. So I guess that for a business user, the competition will work better for the consumer who buy goods. They can feel more safe when they're buying goods, and for citizens discussing having their life on social media, they will be more safe and they will make sure that that what they see is is better for the democracy and for the freedom of speech.

SOUNDBITE (English), Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&amp;D, DK), Rapporteur, Ultimately, the big companies, can be fined with up to 6% of the global turnover. That's quite a lot, but that's ultimately everything below that could also be an option. But what I want mostly is not to fine the companies. I want them to comply with the legislation so we can make sure that users of the platforms can have more safe experience.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margrethe VESTAGER, Executive Vice-President of the EC in charge of Europe fit for the Digital Age, This is a new rulebook that has been enabled, and for that, I am truly thankful because it's urgent, our aims. They seem simple to make digital markets safe, to make them fair, to make them more competitive, for people to be online as if they were offline in dealing with other people, respecting what the legislator has decided as to what is legal and what is indeed illegal.

SOUNDBITE (French), Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market, We didn't really have a digital internal market. And that's what this is today is about. So finally, with a DSA and the DMA, we're going to allow our 450 million citizens to really evolve on an equal footing in our European digital space. Now, the internal market is also founded on the biggest and perhaps even the First democracy in the world. And it will bolster the rule of law. It will also make sure that there is enhanced protection of our citizens when it comes to the digital world. The world of information, as it was said. The EU becomes the first jurisdiction in the world to set real standards in order to regulate the digital area of space on the basis of our democratic rules.

Extracts from the vote: DSA (539 + / 054 -) / DMA (588 + / 011 -)

Final vote on Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA): extracts from the debate and the vote, statements by Andreas Schwab (EPP, DE), Rapporteur on DMA and by Christel Schaldemose (S&D, DK), Rapporteur on DSA

Info

Description

Related media

Digital Services and Digital Markets Act