The consultation seeks to gather views, evidence and data from people, businesses, online platforms, academics, civil society and all interested parties to help us shaping the future rulebook for digital services.

Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton said: “Online platforms have taken a central role in our life, our economy and our democracy. With such a role comes greater responsibility, but this can happen only against the backdrop of a modern rulebook for digital services. Europe launches a public consultation: we will listen to all views and reflect together to find the right balance between a safe Internet for all, protecting freedom of expression and ensuring space to innovate in the EU single market.”

The EU has clarified the opinion that the current regulatory framework for digital services helped the growth of European digital services but it does not give answers to many of today's pressing questions on the role and responsibility of online platforms. In order to collect opinions and to update the regulatory framework, the EU has launched a public consultation which covers two work strands:

• The first set of rules would relate to the fundamentals of the e-commerce directive, in particular, “the freedom to provide digital services across the EU single market in accordance with the rules of the place of establishment and a broad limitation of liability for content created by users”. 
• The second measures would address the issue of the level playing field in the European digital markets ecosystem, where “currently a few large online platforms act as gatekeepers”. Aspects to be covered will include: non-personal data access obligations, specific requirements regarding personal data portability, and interoperability requirements.

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Francesca Poggiali is setting up a group of MOs who wish to be involved in drafting the GS1 in Europe’s answer to the consultation during July 2020. Please contact her at francesca.poggiali@gs1.org