In mid-2019 Google started blocking independent repairers’ advertisements, which deprived thousands of companies of the ability to promote their services online. This led repair initiatives, businesses, and consumer and environmental organisations to ask the Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP) to prohibit this infringement of competition law provisions as it is intervening illegally in the market for repairs. DG COMP responded with the assurance that it had raised the issue in a dialogue with Google. Two years later, Google continues to allow advertisements from manufacturers and their authorised repair shops while blocking advertisements from independent repairers.

In order to meet the goals of the European Green Deal, the Commission announced its proposal on the right to repair, for which independent repairers are key, and in December 2020, presented its proposal on the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to address unfair competition.

1. What further concrete action will the Commission take to address Google’s illegal intervention?

2. To what extent will the Commission’s proposal on the DMA address Google’s abuse of its dominant market power?