EU Commission to Be the Only Developer of Technology Laws, EU States Agree

The DMA, proposed by EU antitrust chief executive Margrethe Vestager last year, aims to curb the power of Big Tech.

POINTS

1. EU ministers will officially ratify the agreement on November 25

2. Member states may empower authorities to enforce competition laws

3. The Commission is the only authority empowered to enforce this Regulation

Representatives of EU countries have agreed that the European Commission is the only one that will make new technology laws, having a limited role for national antitrust monitors instead of the broad powers they want, officials said on Monday.

EU ministers will formally ratify the agreement on November 25 as part of a similar bloc stand before negotiations with EU legislators and the Commission on draft laws known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) before it becomes law.

The DMA, proposed by EU antitrust official Margrethe Vestager last year, aims to limit the power of the Alphabet unit Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon with a list of do's and don'ts.

German and French antitrust dogs and their counterparts in 25 other EU countries in a joint letter in June argued for a major role in enforcing the DMA and citing their expertise in digital environments.

"The Commission is the only authority empowered to enforce this Act," said an EU document approved by the EU Council working group and recognized by Reuters.

"In order to support the Commission, member states may empower competent authorities to enforce competition laws to investigate potential violations of gatekeepers' obligations," the statement said.

It said the EU executive committee would have a full understanding of the decision whether to open an inquiry.