Arbeitsgruppen

On 24 June, the Chair of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) Working Group, Andreas Schwab, reported back on the latest meeting of the Working Group of 3 June, which focused on international approaches to regulating digital markets. Representatives from the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan took part, as these countries have introduced legislation similar to the DMA. Discussions highlighted the EU's approach as both robust and flexible, giving authorities stronger enforcement tools than those available in comparable jurisdictions while maintaining an appropriate balance between intervention and flexibility. Mr Schwab also noted that the current enforcement of the DMA was discussed and that enforcement can be improved.

The latest Working Group meeting followed discussions in the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee (IMCO) on 2 June, where Members examined how the EU is enforcing the DMA with Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera. They also discussed Europe's competitiveness in AI, enforcement capacity, fair digital markets and data protection.

The discussion followed the European Commission's first official review of the DMA, published on 28 April 2026 after two years of the law being in force. The review looked at whether the rules are working effectively and whether new challenges - including artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing - may require closer monitoring in the future. The European Commission also published 3rd annual implementation report on the DMA on 22 May 2026.

The Commission concluded that the DMA is helping to make digital markets more open and competitive, while also calling for stronger enforcement and greater transparency from large technology companies.

Why it matters for you: the DMA is designed to give consumers more choice online, reduce unfair practices by dominant platforms, and create a safer and more competitive digital environment.

The European Parliament has also increased pressure for stricter enforcement. On 30 April 2026, European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the Commission to act more quickly and firmly against companies that continue to engage in anti-competitive practices. MEPs also warned that political pressure from outside the EU should not weaken Europe's ability to enforce its own digital rules. Parliament urged the Commission to fully use its enforcement powers and highlighted risks linked to generative AI and cloud services. MEPs also raised concerns about continued self-preferencing and restrictive practices by companies including Google, TikTok, Microsoft and Booking.com, emphasising that DMA compliance should be judged by its impact on competition, innovation and consumer choice.

Over the past months, Andreas Schwab has also reported to the IMCO Committee on meetings of the DMA Working Group with Microsoft and ByteDance, the owner of TikTok. These discussions focused on how the companies are complying with the new EU rules.

Mr Schwab has stressed that regular meetings with major technology companies and international partners are important to ensure democratic oversight, keep Parliament actively involved in monitoring the implementation of the law, and exchange experience on regulating digital markets. He has also called for a broader political debate on how Europe can strengthen its digital independence.

Why it matters for businesses: the DMA could create fairer market conditions for smaller companies by reducing barriers created by dominant online platforms and improving access to digital markets.