The Commission explains that the DMA specifically applies to online platforms designated as “gatekeepers”, i.e. large digital platforms acting as important gateways between business users and consumers, whose position gives them the power to act as a private rule maker, thereby creating a bottleneck in the digital economy. To address these issues, the DMA imposes obligations on gatekeepers, including prohibiting them from engaging in certain practices. The DMA entered into force on 1 November 2022 and will apply from 2 May 2023.

The Commission says that in line with the requirements of the DMA, the new High-Level Group will be composed of 30 representatives nominated from the Body of the European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and European Data Protection Board (EDPB), the European Competition Network (ECN), the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC Network) and the European Regulatory Group of Audiovisual Media Regulators (ERGA).

The new High-Level Group will provide the Commission with advice and expertise to ensure that the DMA and other sectoral Regulations applicable to gatekeepers are implemented in a coherent and complementary manner. It may also provide expertise in market investigations into emerging services and practices to help ensure that the DMA is future-proof. The High-Level Group will have a mandate of two years and will meet at least once per year. To read the Commission’s press release in full and for a link to the Commission’s Decision, click here.