EU Digital Markets Act delayed until 2023. „Will enter info force next spring.” – says Commission EVP Margrethe Vestager

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) has been postponed to come into force in early 2023, rather than later this year as previously anticipated, according to Finextra. When in full force, the DMA will designate big tech companies such as Meta and Apple as gatekeepers, and these companies will need to declare their status the EU within three months.

“The DMA will enter into force next spring and we are getting ready for enforcement as soon as the first notifications come in,” said Commission EVP Margrethe Vestager in a speech to the International Competition Network conference in Berlin.

Vestager explained that the delay is a result of the extended preparation process: “It’s about setting up new structures within the Commission, pooling resources from DG Comp [Directorate-General for Competition] and Cnect [Directorate-General for Communications] based on relevant experience. It’s about hiring staff. It’s about preparing the IT systems. It’s about drafting further legal texts on procedures or notification forms. Our teams are currently busy with all these preparations and we’re aiming to come forward with the new structures very soon.”

The DMA was first approved by EU legislators in March. When in full force, the DMA will designate big tech companies such as Meta and Apple as gatekeepers, and these companies will need to declare their status the EU within three months.

The criteria for these gatekeepers comprises of them being “a core platform service” with “significant” impact on the EU’s internal market; a market capitalisation of at least €75BN (or an annual turnover of €7.5BN); at least 45M monthly end users in the EU and 10,000+ annual business users, as well as an entrenched market position means the usual GAFAM giants are certainly in the frame. The EU will then have two months to confirm their status.