Geoblocking for EU-Island citizens

Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

Subject: Geoblocking for EU-Island citizens

On 25 May 2016, the Commission presented a draft regulation on geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination on the single market. In November 2016, the Council approved it.

The text of this regulation stipulates that “geo-blocking is a discriminatory practice that prevents online customers from accessing and purchasing products or services from a website based in another Member State”. Unfortunately, EU citizens living on islands tend to repeatedly experience these discriminatory practices especially as online seller often refuse to propose shipping options to these regions overseas.

The trialogues with The Parliament, the Council and the Commission are now ongoing with a view to reaching an agreement on the final legislation.

– Can the Commission explain how islands will be specifically protected and covered by this legislation?
– What is the time horizon of effective implementation of this legislation, i.e. when will an EU-island citizen be able to have his orders shipped from online sellers that still refuse to currently do so?

Answer given by Ms Gabriel on behalf of the Commission (25 September 2017)
The Commission’s legislative proposal on addressing unjustified geo-blocking (1) is currently negotiated by Council and European Parliament. The negotiations are expected to be concluded before the end of the year. It will start to apply directly after a delay to be agreed by the co-legislators.
The proposal’s main provision is a non-discrimination obligation for traders. Specific instances are defined in which this would apply (goods, electronically supplied services and services consumed in the premises of a trader). In the case of sales of goods, such as electronics, clothes or books, the proposal addresses the sale without delivery across borders, i.e. where goods are delivered within the trader’s country or picked up by the customer. In those cases, no justification for treating customers differently can be accepted. Customers would be free to organise delivery themselves.
Art. 20 (2) of the Services Directive (2) already today prohibits discrimination of a service recipient based on nationality or residence unless there are objective justifications, for instance in view of different delivery costs.
The proposal for a regulation on cross-border parcel delivery services (3) complements the directive and aims to ensure that prices for cross-border parcel delivery services are more transparent and affordable. The proposal is currently being negotiated by the European Parliament and Council.

⋅1∙COM(2016) 289 final
⋅2∙Directive 2006/123/EC
⋅3∙COM(2010) 285 final.

E-004600/17

Suġġett: L-imblukkar ġeografiku taċ-ċittadini tal-UE li jgħixu fil-gżejjer
Fil-25 ta’ Mejju 2016, il-Kummissjoni ppreżentat abbozz ta’ regolament dwar l-imblukkar ġeografiku u forom oħra ta’ diskriminazzjoni fis-suq uniku. Dan kien approvat mill-Kunsill f’Novembru 2016.
It-test ta’ dan ir-regolament jistipula li l-“imblukkar ġeografiku huwa prattika diskriminatorja li ma tħallix lill-konsumaturi online jaċċedu għal prodotti jew servizzi, jew li jixtruhom, minn sit web ibbażat fi stat membru ieħor”. Sfortunatament, iċ-ċittadini tal-UE li jgħixu fil-gżejjer sikwit iħabbtu wiċċhom ma’ prattiki diskriminatorji bħal dawn, partikolarment minħabba li l-bejjiegħa online ta’ spiss jirrifjutaw li jagħtu l-għażla ta’ konsenja lejn ir-reġjuni barra l-kontinent.
Bħalissa għaddejjin trilogi bejn il-Parlament, il-Kunsill u l-Kummissjoni bl-għan li jintlaħaq ftehim dwar il-leġiżlazzjoni finali.
Tista’ l-Kummissjoni tispjega l-miżuri speċifiċi biex tiżgura li r-residenti tal-gżejjer se jkunu mħarsa u koperti minn din il-leġiżlazzjoni?
Liema huwa ż-żmien maħsub għall-implimentazzjoni effettiva ta’ din il-leġiżlazzjoni; fi kliem ieħor, iċ-ċittadini tal-UE li jgħixu fuq il-gżejjer meta se jkunu jistgħu jirċievu ordnijiet mingħand bejjiegħa online li attwalment jirrifjutaw li jagħmlu dan?
Tweġiba mogħtija mis-Sinjura Gabriel f’isem il-Kummissjoni
Il-proposta leġiżlattiva tal-Kummissjoni biex jiġi indirizzat l-imblukkar ġeografiku mhux iġġustifikat(1) qed tiġi nnegozjata bħalissa mill-Kunsill u mill-Parlament Ewropew. Huwa mistenni li n-negozjati jiġu konklużi qabel tmiem is-sena. Għandha tibda tapplika direttament wara perjodu ta’ żmien li jridu jiftiehmu dwaru l-koleġiżlaturi.
Id-dispożizzjoni ewlenija tal-proposta hija obbligu mhux diskriminatorju għall-kummerċjanti. Hemm ċirkostanzi partikolari definiti fejn dan ikun japplika (oġġetti, servizzi fornuti elettronikament u servizzi kkonsmati fil-bini ta’ negozjant). Fil-każ ta’ bejgħ ta’ oġġetti, bħall-elettroniċi, il-ħwejjeġ jew il-kotba, il-proposta tindirizza l-bejgħ mingħajr konsenja transfruntiera, jiġifieri fejn l-oġġetti jitwasslu fil-pajjiż tal-kummerċjant jew jinġabru mill-klijent. F’dawk il-każijiet, ma tkunx tista’ tiġi aċċettata ġustifikazzjoni għat-trattament differenti tal-klijenti. Il-klijenti jkunu liberi biex jirranġaw għall-konsenja huma stess.
L-Artikolu 20(2) tad-Direttiva dwar is-Servizzi(2) diġà jipprojbixxi d-diskriminazzjoni ta’ riċevitur ta’ servizz ibbażata fuq in-nazzjonalità jew ir-residenza sakemm ma jkunx hemm ġustifikazzjonijiet oġġettivi, pereżempju minħabba kostijiet differenti tal-konsenja.
Il-proposta għal Regolament dwar servizzi ta’ konsenja transfruntiera tal-pakketti(3) tikkomplementa d-Direttiva u għandha l-għan li tiżgura li s-servizzi ta’ konsenja transfruntiera tal-pakketti jkunu iktar trasparenti u għall-but ta’ kulħadd. Bħalissa l-Parlament Ewropew u l-Kunsill qegħdin jinnegozjaw din il-proposta.