Dear Member of the European Parliament,
As you know, the Digital Markets Act has the potential to end years of anti-competitive practices by gatekeepers and provide fair economic terms for app developers and consumers during a time of economic uncertainty.
Closing in on the DMA entering into force on 1 November, the Coalition for App Fairness (CAF) – and the app developers’ community – welcome and commend the extensive work and commitment it took to pass this revolutionary new law.
The DMA signals to companies and app developers that ensuring fair and contestable digital markets will remain a top priority in worldwide tech legislation. Therefore, the European Commission stands at the forefront of shaping a level playing field that will benefit consumers and innovators for generations to come – not only in Europe but globally, as this legislation and its implementation are paving the way for the rest of the world.
Ensuring effective enforcement of rules of this magnitude is a transformative, yet extremely difficult task that requires proper resources.
It is therefore concerning that previous calls for additional resources and staffing for the European Commission to enforce the DMA have not been reflected in the 2023 EU budgetary plans. This is despite several claims from EU officials that state that the Commission may be short on resources to properly enforce the DMA. As MEPs Andreas Schwab and Eva Kaili referred to in their letter to the Minister representing the European Council Presidency in February 2022, only consistent enforcement of all rules can deliver a level playing field in the single market.
Gatekeepers have shown their refusal to comply with the national law in the past, creating loopholes and looking for any opportunity to evade the consequences of the law. It would be naïve to dismiss the fact that the European Commission needs reinforcements, especially since the scope of the DMA was widened in the final rounds of negotiations.
| Therefore, to deliver a level playing field that would increase innovation and create more choice and fairness for consumers, we ask you to continue raising awareness of this resource issue and to factor it into your work or negotiations on the distribution of the EU budget. |
You can count on our continued support in defending the interests of app developers in Europe and the creation of a fairer and more competitive digital marketplace through the effective implementation of EU rules.
Yours sincerely,
Rick VanMeter, Executive Director of the Coalition for App Fairness
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About the Coalition for App Fairness
The Coalition for App Fairness is an independent nonprofit organization formed to protect consumer choice, foster competition, and create a level playing field for all app and game developers globally. Originally formed by Basecamp, Blix, Blockchain.com, Deezer, Epic Games, the European Publishers Council, Match Group, News Media Europe, Prepear, Proton, Skydemon, Spotify, and Tile, CAF has rapidly grown from 13 to over 70 members since launching in September 2020. CAF offers membership to companies of any size — join today at appfairness.org.
CAF Contact
October 27, 2022