Chambers welcome balanced Council compromise on the Digital Services Act

Reacting to the adoption today by the Competitiveness Council of its position on the Digital Services Act (DSA), EUROCHAMBRES has underlined the need to have balanced rules in e-commerce which withstand the test of time. The association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry is pleased to see that the Council adopted a realistic approach which gives businesses the opportunity to be active online in a responsible way.

EUROCHAMBRES CEO, Ben Butters, stated: “The rulebook is due for an update 20 years after the entry into force of the E-Commerce Directive, but we’re encouraged that the Council explicitly recognises the need to provide continuity and certainty for traders used to this legal framework. The text still needs more analysis, but we already sense that the Council has struck the right balance between the interests of the various parties.”

Mr Butters added: “The proposed solution for targeted advertising strikes us as acceptable. We will have to see how certain provisions will be put into practice but in general we are happy to see that the Council steered away from extreme choices that would be detrimental to online businesses.”

Nonetheless, chambers underline the many reporting obligations foreseen by the Council, which will create new administrative burdens for SMEs. These could still be simplified without jeopardizing the objectives of the DSA. More exemptions and assistance to small companies should still be considered during the trilogue negotiations.