A draft resolution was adopted by the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) on Tuesday, 24 March (33 votes in favour, 2 against, and 11 abstentions). According to an IMCO press release, “The resolution also highlights the need [for the European Commission] to address the new challenges posed by generative AI and cloud-based infrastructures to prevent gatekeepers from using these technologies to create new forms of market ‘lock-in’”.
MEPs are notably urging the European Commission to assess whether ‘cloud computing’ services meet the criteria for the ‘gatekeeper’ designation under the ‘DMA’, the regulation that governs the digital services market. Moreover, given that the AI-based search and assistance tools offered by dominant gatekeepers are becoming the main gateways to information, commerce, and digital services, they are also asking the European Commission to examine whether these functionalities comply with EU competition rules.
In a statement sent to the European Commission, 11 European broadcasting associations are of the opinion that the main operating systems for smart TVs and virtual assistants should be designated ‘gatekeepers’ (see EUROPE 13834/7).
Calling on Europeans to “resist external political pressure”, the parliamentary committee recommends that the ‘DMA’ be applied equally to gatekeepers, regardless of origin. “Full and proactive use” should be made of all the instruments (inspections, interim measures, temporary financial penalties) at the European Commission’s disposal so as to prevent EU law from being circumvented and to achieve tangible results for users.
Finally, according to MEPs, the revision of the ‘DMA’ must not lead to the main objectives, scope, or architecture of this piece of European legislation being reopened [to discussion].
See the draft resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/lbc
In parallel with this resolution, the parliamentary committee has approved—in preparation for the plenary session at the end of April—an oral question asking the European Commission how it is applying the ‘DMA’ specifically with regard to IT services that are driven by AI tools.
See the oral question: https://aeur.eu/f/lbb (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)