Competition Archives - Dialogues on European Digital Transition

A digital levy in the EU: Our response to the European Commission consultation

European Association for Digital Transition Economic future April 15, 2021April 15, 2021Competition, European Commission, Fiscal policy

Last February, the European Commission opened a public consultation process as part of its work to create a digital levy in the EU. This is not only in response to the economic and business changes that have been accelerated by the pandemic, but also to bring order to the different initiatives from the Member States. Appropriate taxation for the digital economy, with its ability to break down political boundaries, is a matter of great global interest and a subject that both the G20 and the OECD are also working on.

Don’t say marketplace, say Amazon

European Association for Digital Transition Economic future February 26, 2021March 1, 2021Alibaba, Amazon, Competition, European Commission

A recent report by analysis firm Credit Suisse predicted that Inditex, the Spanish multinational that owns the Zara brand, would end up selling its garments on Zalando, a German marketplace. The report foresaw that the same would happen with another important European textile giant, H&M. It would be, according to Credit Suisse, not only a logical step but also a necessary one in the face of how rapidly physical commerce is evolving, which is in a sharp decline that has been accelerated by the pandemic.

After the US launch of Amazon Pharmacy, is Europe next?

European Association for Digital Transition Economic future December 3, 2020April 9, 2021Amazon, Competition, health, Local business

Amazon’s announcement last week that it was launching its own online pharmacy not only shook the US drugs market but also raised questions here in Europe. The online retail giant has already reshaped the shopping and shipping landscape. Now, it plans to enter the prescription and over the counter medicine market worth the equivalent of €260 billion in the US alone.

Trump, Biden, and What Won’t Change Regarding the ‘Big Tech’ Companies

European Association for Digital Transition Economic future September 8, 2020November 3, 2020Amazon, Apple, Competition, Donald Trump, Facebook, Google, Joe Biden

For years, the big American technology companies have grown without too many regulatory impediments to the point of becoming global mastodons. Thanks to attractive products and services that respond to market demand, with loose or directly non-existent regulations in some areas, and wrapped in the American dream aura of the entrepreneur in their garage who becomes a billionaire, the big Silicon Valley companies have achieved such a powerful market position that many consider them de facto monopolies.

Regulation and ‘Big Tech’: The EU is leading the way, but needs more

European Association for Digital Transition Economic future August 24, 2020November 3, 2020Amazon, Apple, Competition, Facebook, Google, Margrethe Vestager, USA

When the history of the big technology companies in the twenty-first century is written, the date of July 29, 2020, might have its place. On that day, the four CEOs of the ‘Big Tech’ Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Apple appeared before the United States House of Representatives antitrust subcommittee, whose members have been investigating their alleged anti-competitive practices for years.