On 21 February 2020, the European Commission (the “Commission”) announced it had fined Spanish hotel group Meliá almost €6.7 million for restrictive clauses in its contracts with tour operators. The decision highlights the...more
“Geo-blocking” is the practice whereby traders operating in a country block or limit access to their online interfaces, such as websites or apps, by customers from other countries wishing to engage in cross-border...more
From 3 December 2018, businesses who sell either B2B or B2C within the EU will have to comply with the EU Geo-Blocking Regulation. The Regulation will have both economic and procedural implications for any trader which sells...more
On December 3, 2018 the Geo-Blocking Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/302) will come into effect in each of the EU member states. As part of a continued effort to provide guidance to businesses in case of a no deal Brexit...more
In anticipation of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, the European Commission has released a Notice to Stakeholders on the impact of Brexit on the incoming rules on geo-blocking (the “Notice“)....more
The new provision on the banning of unjustified geoblocking in online sales is at the heart of the EU Commission’s aspiration and effort to create a real Digital Single Market within the European Union....more
The regulation on measures against unjustified geo-blocking is close to become binding law. After the European institutions had reached a compromise on some last open issues in last November, the European Parliament approved...more
The European Union will end unjustified geoblocking for consumers wishing to buy products or services online within the EU before the end of next year....more
On 10 May 2017, two years after launching its e-commerce sector inquiry on 6 May 2015, the European Commission published its final report (Final Report) on the inquiry. The inquiry was opened in the framework of the...more
On 10 May 2017, the European Commission published its final report on the e-commerce sector inquiry. The report is divided into two sections, covering e-commerce issues in relation to consumer goods and digital content. It...more
Can retailers find the perfect mix? Retailers are increasingly under pressure to evaluate their business models and, in particular, the mix of their in-store, online and mobile offerings. Just as there are few pure-play...more
New EU rules for online selling taking shape - The recent Communication from the European Commission on cross-border e-commerce is likely to have a significant impact on online trading within the European market. ...more
On May 6, 2015, the European Commission (Commission) launched an antitrust sector inquiry into the e-commerce sector. This sector inquiry is part of the Commission’s broader Digital Single Market Strategy, which aims inter...more