17 October 2023, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. | University Forum Bonn, Heussallee 18-24, 53113 Bonn

Nowadays, the use of digital services is indispensable to the daily activity of businesses or end users. Digital services and online platforms in particular have contributed to the internal market by opening new business opportunities and increasing consumer choice and competitiveness. Currently, Europe's digital economy comprises over 10,000 online platforms. Most of these online platforms are SMEs. Nevertheless, a small number of online platforms have captured the biggest share of the overall value generated and have consolidated their position in the digital market. These online platforms, known as ‘gatekeepers’ which have a significant impact on the internal market, are likely to lead to unfair practices and conditions for business users as well as for the end.
 
Against this background, the European Parliament and the Council adopted a Regulation on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector, known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This talk focuses on the rationale and the necessity for regulating Big Tech companies' behaviour in the EU digital market. It briefly introduces the DMA goals, gatekeepers' obligations and its enforcement system. Then, the talk will shift to the discussion of the relationship between the DMA and EU Competition Law focusing on whether and to what extent the DMA will regulate the behaviour of the gatekeepers to not hamper the competition in the digital markets.

Lecture:

Dr. Gentjan Skara

Katekisama Visiting Fellow, University of Basel

Krisztina Mezey

Research Fellow, Center for European Integration Studies (ZEI)

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Event hosted by Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer, Junior-Professor of International Relations and Global Politics of Technology, University of Bonn