European Commission publishes first evaluation of Geo-blocking regulation
The Commission’s first evaluation of the European Regulation that prohibits geo-blocking and geo-discrimination in respect of the cross-border sales of goods and services in the EU shows positive results.
Analysis and recommendations
The evaluation report contains an analysis of the first 18 months following inception of (EU) Regulation 2018/302 pertaining to geo-blocking, which came into effect in December 2018, as well as expansion of the Regulation pertaining to copyrighted content services and its potential effects.
Conclusions of geo-blocking evaluation report
You can read the key conclusions of the evaluation report on the initial period following implementation of the geo-blocking Regulation below:
- There is a good level of consumer awareness. 50% of consumers were aware of the new rules within three months of implementation of the Regulation and wanted more information.
- National supervisory bodies have an important role to play in ensuring vendors adhere to the rules. Over 50% of complaints were settled out of court thanks to the intervention of supervisory bodies.
- A number of significant geo-blocking limitations have decreased sharply since the Regulation came into effect. Amongst others, 14% (previously 26.9%) of approximately 9,000 websites investigated were not yet complying with the rules and were preventing consumers from being able to register on overseas websites because of a postal address in another country.
- Although the Regulation does not oblige traders to deliver beyond national borders, accessibility of overseas websites has actually increased and therefore the number of cross-border purchases has too (1.6% in EU27 compared to 2015). A third of the approximately 9000 websites investigated offered overseas deliveries.
- The other measures that are still being implemented, such as amending VAT regulations for e-commerce overseas (July 2021) and harmonisation of regulations for consumer protection in 2022, will ensure the effects of the geo-blocking Regulation become even more visible.
Possible expansion of geo-blocking Regulation
The European Commission is considering expansion of the Regulation in relation to copyrighted content, such as audiovisual content, e-books and video games. The report emphasises the potential benefits of this to consumers in Europe, including the availability of a wider choice of audiovisual content. What the potential impact of this expansion will be on the general dynamics of the audiovisual sector needs to be investigated further.
Full geo-blocking evaluation report
Read the evaluation report on (EU) Regulation 2018/302 in full on the European Commission website. Note: the report is in English.
Your feedback is important
The European Commission continues to monitor the effect of the geo-blocking Regulation closely and invites everyone to give feedback on the geo-blocking evaluation report, as well as personal experiences in relation to the ban on geo-blocking. How? Via this email address!