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Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is a process allowing complaints to be settled out of court with the assistance of an impartial dispute resolution body. Through ADR, consumers can settle a complaint against a trader for breach of contract, outside court procedures, assisted by impartial, neutral dispute mediation, arbitration or conciliation. Since 2013, the share of e commerce in the EU economy has increased significantly, up from 2 % to 4 % of EU gross domestic product (GDP), increasing the ...

In March 2023, the European Commission presented a proposal for a directive to expand the use of digital tools and processes in EU company law. The directive would seek to facilitate companies' cross-border activities by reducing bureaucracy and administrative burdens (such as when setting up subsidiaries and branches in another Member State), increase transparency and boost trust in the business environment across the EU. The proposal is expected to contribute to the creation of a more integrated ...

Russia's war against Ukraine has revealed the extent of our dependency on digital technology and the fragility of the digital space. It has triggered a surge in cyberattacks that have been particularly disruptive when targeting critical infrastructure – such as energy, health or finance – because of the increasing reliance on information technology, rendering this infrastructure all the more vulnerable. Against this backdrop, the Commission has proposed a regulation on a cyber solidarity act that ...

The EU's approach to digital transformation is rooted in protecting fundamental rights, sustainability, ethics and fairness. With this human-centric vision of the digital economy and society, the EU seeks to empower citizens and businesses, regardless of their size. In the EU's view, the internet should remain open, fair, inclusive and focused on people. Digital technologies should work for citizens and help them to engage in society. Companies should be able to compete on equal terms, and consumers ...

Digital trade has become a key element in the EU's trade policy. Every modern trade agreement that the EU has concluded contains a dedicated digital trade chapter. The digital trade provisions in EU trade agreements have evolved over time, which reflects the increasing role digital trade plays today in the world economy. While there is no clear measurement of digital trade yet, the OECD estimates nevertheless that digital trade represents around 25 % (in 2020) of total trade. The EU, as the world's ...

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform industries and society by boosting innovation, empowering individuals and increasing productivity. One of the drawbacks of the adoption of this technology, however, is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate human-generated content from synthetic content generated by AI, potentially enabling illegal and harmful conduct. Policymakers around the globe are therefore pondering how to design and implement watermarking ...

More than 3 years after the entry into application of the Geo-blocking Regulation (GBR) and more than 2 years after the publication of the Commission report on the first short-term review of the GBR, the European Parliament's Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) decided to draft a report to establish the extent to which implementation of the GBR had contributed to the integration of the internal market and thereby to better deals for consumers and more opportunities for ...

On 23 February 2022, the European Commission unveiled a proposal for an EU regulation – the data act – laying down harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data. The aim is to remove barriers to consumers and businesses' access to data, in a context in which the volume of data generated by humans and machines is increasing exponentially and becoming a critical factor for innovation by businesses (e.g. algorithm training) and by public authorities (e.g. shaping of smart cities). The proposed ...

Directive 2019/1151/EU on the use of digital tools and processes in company law was the first step towards digitalisation in the area of company law. The directive amended EU company law provisions to enable online formation, registration of branches and filing of documents for limited liability companies. Its purpose was to facilitate such processes and make them cost-effective for businesses, including for cross-border activities. The digitalisation of company law is one aspect of EU digital policy ...

This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the LIBE Committee, examines risks that contemporary social media - focusing in particular on the most widely-used platforms - present for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. The study focuses on the governance of online content, provides an assessment of existing EU law and industry practices which address these risks, and evaluates potential opportunities ...