Speaker #0EQ Radio, your one-stop podcast to stay updated with the European Union. Hi everyone, welcome back to the Voice of Europe's EQ Radio's podcast. I'm Axel, your host, and today we are going for a shorter podcast. Life found a way to keep me busy. I will be damned, however, if it gets fully in the way. So expect a dive within the Digital Markets Act that was breached by Meta and Apple, as well as the Digital Services Act. its sister law. The latest EU news and updates, an appreciation of people that made us proud and the success as they had in the face of systemic challenges, but first, like usual, my thoughts on the current situation. What made me believe in the European project, the ever closer union so to speak, was its normative power, which people are referring to more often than not as the European regulations. They are often misunderstood as tools or sticks that bureaucrats wave to stay relevant. That could not be more of a misunderstanding. The regulations exist to ensure that products, services, technologies and corporate behaviors are as safe, ethical and trustworthy as possible. The end goal is to protect the consumers and the social rights of the citizens. It's a race to the top, where profits are not the end goal for legislators but rather the protection of people against arms and exploitation by corporations and foreign powers. And this rests to the top as a name, the Brussels effect, describing the process of EU regulation spreading beyond its borders. Jan Manners introduced this concept back in 2002, arguing that the EU represents a new kind of actor in international relations, distinct from traditional state actors who prioritize economic and political interests. He explains that the EU's identity and behaviour are fundamentally based on a set of nine core ethical norms. Peace, liberty, the rule of law, democracy, human rights, social solidarity, anti-discrimination, sustainable development and good governance. Nothing wrong here. Now, compare that to the rest to the bottom I talked about last week. decay capitalism, enthification and now exploitative corporations such as Meta and Apple but not only, are doing everything they can to not follow our regulation, to the point of breaching them even but also calling for the dismantling of our laws. Consumer rights, in their vision, are an obstacle, a hindrance to be bypassed and, if not possible, to be removed. So squeezing value out of customers can be done. Less value squeezed is less profits, less profits is less shareholders, and less shareholders is less accumulation of riches. So when people sometimes use this mocking line that you are bound to have heard, the US innovates, China imitates, Europe regulates, you will know that not only it is wrong as everyone innovates and imitates, but it is only left to Europe to regulate and protect its consumers rights, values and ethics because the users won't do it for us. And what better way to exemplify that Then the latest news on the fine the Meta in Apple got ended for breaching the Digital Markets Act. We will see that in a minute. But before we move on, a brief reminder that you can support EQ Radio and my work on Steady. Unlock exclusive perks such as exclusive newsletter, exclusive podcast for Steady members only, Q&A sessions, polls and more, starting for 3€ a month only. It allows me to focus on EQ Radio production and on shows that I can keep diving within EU news long term. So please check it out. Links are in the description. You can also access it by tapping Steady or EQ Radio on your favorite search engine or go to EQradio.eu and check the FAQ. It has all the info you need. Alright, now for the Digital Markets and Services Acts. The Digital Markets Act is a landmark EU law designed to prevent large digital platforms, designated as gatekeepers by the European Commission, from abusing their dominant position in the digital industry. It also wants to ensure fairness and openness, to curb unfair practices, and replace them with practices benefiting end users and business users. Examples include allowing easy uninstallation of pre-installed applications, That's something for Google and their Android OS or for Apple. Offering user choice rather than defaulting to pre-installed applications. Providing business users with access to performance data for advertising, campaigns, and ad pricing. Permitting developers to use alternative in-app payment systems, something that Apple must know well. Or offering interoperability options for messenger services. In other words, the purpose of the DMA is to mitigate the enthification of digital platforms, protecting EU consumers and EU businesses' rights while focusing on reducing the value siphoning that gatekeepers direct against end users and business customers. It makes it very relevant to current news, so expect to hear more about it in the future. Now for the gatekeepers. They are identified based on criteria indicating a significant impact on the EU internal market. serving as an important access point for business users to reach end users, and having an entrenched and durable market position. To this day, it includes GAFAM, Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft, but also Bidens, the people behind TikTok, and Booking.com, one of the largest online travel agencies providing lodging, reservation services. What's important here is that despite a clear guideline, it also took two weeks after the compliance deadline of the DMA Okay. back in 2024 for the commission to open four modern compliance investigations against Alphabet, the company behind Google, Apple and Meta. It should not come as a surprise though. Back when the DMA was introduced, these three companies were the most vocal about their dislike of the law, while the other mostly stayed silent. Their business was not gonna be impacted that much. One year later, and you know the tune, the European Commission announces findings of of noncompliance. against Apple and Meta. Apple, first, is found in breach of its anti-steering obligations. The Commission determined that a restriction imposed by Apple preventing app developers from informing customers of alternative offers outside the App Store, steering them there, and allowing purchases. Apple is fined, therefore, 500 million euros. Their reaction? Chaos immediately. senior director for Europe at the Apple-funded lobbying group Chamber of Progress, called the fight an escalation in transatlantic trade conflict and urged the US administration to focus on the DMA. Meta, on its side, is found in breach of the obligation to give users a real choice regarding the use of their personal data. The Commission concluded that Meta's consent-or-pay model, which forced EU users of Facebook and Instagram to either consent to personalize advertising or pay a subscription, did not offer a valid alternative that used less personal data while being otherwise equivalent. Meta is then fined 200 million euros. As accepting as humble as Apple, Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer, described the 200 million euros fined and required changes as an attempt to handicap successful American businesses while allowing Chinese and European companies to operate under different standards. playing on the ongoing tension between the USA and China. He added that the Commission effectively imposes a multi-billion dollar tariff on Meta while requiring us to offer an inferior service. We can see we are facing adults here. Adults who understand the situation, who say sorry, and who comply with the law when they are asked. Amazing. Meanwhile, Alphabet is still investigated, but it's not looking good for them. In its latest press release, the Commission has sent two sets of preliminary findings to Alphabet for failing to comply with the Digital Markets Act, regarding two services for which it has been designated as a gatekeeper. First service, certain features and functionalities of Google Search treat Alphabet's own services more favorably compared to rival ones, thus not ensuring the transparent, fair and non-discriminatory treatment of third-party services as required by the DMA. In other terms, EU competitors have no chance if they want to compete against Google Search. Second, its app marketplace, Google Play, does not comply as well with the DMA, as app developers are prevented from freely steering consumers to other channels for better offer. That's why Apple was fine. Let's see if Google can do better, but I don't have high expectations. Expect more fines and more inflammatory comments to come our way. Now, as mentioned, the DMA got a sister law, the DSA, for Digital Services Act. Think of the DMA as a main dish and the DSA as a side, equally important for consumers, smaller in scope. Because the DSA is here to prevent illegal and harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation. It regulates online intermediaries and platforms such as marketplaces, social networks, and content sharing platforms to ensure user safety, protect fundamental rights, and improve user experience. and create a fair and open online platform environment. Easier said than done. And while it's not making in the news or have a dedicated website like the DMA, its impact for society is equally as good in my opinion, if not even more. Fighting and gentrification and the exploitation of the users that we are is a priority, but so is controlling this platform to stop the spread of propaganda, manipulation and disinformation. When Meta decided to stop fact-shaking, they were directly in breach of the DSA and sent a message. Our platforms will harm you. Facebook and Instagram cannot be trusted. So yeah, even more fines to be expected. Up to 6% of their worldwide annual turnover. Regardless of what these corporations are currently doing, I love these laws. Our online environment is toxic and discouraging. Anytime you read something on your social feeds, you don't know if you're facing lies, bots, AI's role or fringe theories. They influence elections as we saw in Romania where TikTok was leveraged to bring an alt-right cuckoo to the top. TikTok is now under surveillance under the DSA by the way and they must now cooperate with Romanian authorities so this doesn't happen again in a couple of weeks for the new Romanian elections. In a digital world where we cannot parts of facts from propaganda. The DMA and the DSA are much needed. A work of the Union we can celebrate. But that actually happened years ago. Let's move on to more recent news. The corner of the EU institutions bought the work of the Union. So, beyond the fines, what has been happening? Well, between them and Pope Francis the passing away, the Parliament and Commission still found the time for some updates that we will now review. On the Parliament side first, members of the European Parliament, which we call MEP, endured the gradual rollout of the entry-exit system at EU external borders by 54 votes in favour, 2 against and with 10 abstentions. out of more than 700 MEPs though, so hurray for attendance. Regardless, once operational, the system will register data of third-country nationals, including biometric data such as facial images and fingerprints, as they enter and leave the Schengen area on short-stay visas. This is intended to improve security, speed up the process, and reduce queues. Will this push for regulating immigration convince other people that the EU is doing of and stop them from voting for the far right? Marginally yes. Let's hope that will be enough. MEPs also pushed for a more ambitious European difference industry program. backing a draft law designed to strengthen Europe's defense industry, ramp up defense product manufacturing, and provide more support for Ukraine. I'm in favor of all of these. A natural continuation, by the way, of the re-armed Europe plan that will now be given legal value and will be called the European Defense Industry Program or EDIP. Other principles agreed by MEPs to strengthen Europe's defense capacity include the following. introduce a Bayeux European principle by which Edip, should only fund products where the cost of components originating in the EU or associated countries represent at least 70% of the estimated end product value. The Commission wanted 65%. This extra 5 points are appreciated by Europe and everyone. Listen to my latest podcast on the subject to understand why it's more important than you think. But going back to what MEP wants. To be eligible for funds, European defense projects of common interest should involve at least 6 member states, or at least 4 that are facing high exposure to the risk of conventional military threats. MEPs want also Ukraine to participate. A European military sales mechanism would work as a centralized catalogue of defense products and services to bolster EUI demand. And finally, an EU security of supply regime should gradually guarantee continuous access to essential defense products to tackle future supply crises. The regime would be managed by a defense industrial readiness board. Great news! All around. All these mechanisms are alive. Europe won't be bullied by superpowers or wannabe superpowers who happen to be the second best army in Ukraine. Now for the Commission. First of all, the Commission proposed a comprehensive overall of the EU's road safety and vehicle registration rules. The new rules will take into account the growing presence of electric vehicles and adapt to emerging technologies. They will introduce an ant inspection. including periodic technical inspections for electric vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems, annual inspections for older cars and vans, and advanced emission testing methods to detect high-emitting vehicles to reduce fine particle pollution. All these reflect the EU's commitment to safe and sustainable mobility, while ensuring the free movement of people and goods. Between 2026 and 2050, it is estimated that this proposal will save around 7,000 lives and prevent around 65 000 serious injuries. We are going back to the normative power I talked about at the beginning of the video. Regulations are not a business injunctions, that's the narrative of corporations who want to exploit you. People following them do so at their own detriment. On the contrary, regulations protect rights, serve the citizens and save lives. Moving on. The Commission also presented a proposal to integrate the landmark International Biodiversity Beyond National Juridiction Agreement into EU law. This agreement aims to protect the ocean, tackle environmental degradation, fight climate change, and curb biodiversity loss. Also known as the Treaty of the ICES, the provisions that the Commission wants to to integrate into laws are as follows. Larger-scale marine protected areas will be established in international waters to conserve marine life. Before approving activities in international waters, member states will also need to evaluate their potential impact on the marine environment. And finally, EU researchers, particularly those collaborating across borders on marine genetic resources, will be assisted by facilitating the sharing of genetic resources. The proposal is now expected to be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council. And now for the last part. Name of the week, Europe at its peak. This week, I want to shine a light on Peter Magyar, a Hungarian politician and lawyer who has emerged as a significant challenger to Prime Minister Viktor Orban's longstanding rule. Born in 1981, Magyar began his political career within the Fidesz party in 2002. serving in various governmental roles, including positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister's office. His departure from Fidesz in early 2024, following a corruption scandal involving his ex-wife, former Justice Minister Judith Varga, marked a pivotal turn in his political journey. He subsequently founded the TISA party, which means Respect and Freedom, positioning himself as a centrist alternative to both the ruling party and traditional opposition groups. Despite the systemic challenges such as relentless propaganda and attacks against him, we are talking about accusations of pedophilia, money laundering, embezzlement, public masturbation, insider trading, theft, physical abuse or more, Maguiar has rapidly gained prominence. In the 2024 European Parliament elections, TISA secured nearly 30% of the vote, the highest percentage for any non-fidesz party since 2006. His anti-crisis corruption stance and call for judicial independence resonated with a broad spectrum of voters, including those disillusioned with their current political establishment. Magyar's leadership was further solidified when he organized a massive protest in April 2024, drawing an estimated 250,000 participants, the largest demonstration in Hungary since 1989. Now, considering his background, One could say Magyar represents the whole leadership under a fresher packaging. Yet, he has remained steadfast in his commitment to transparency and reform. He advocates for Hungary's accession to the European Public Prosecutor Office, the reinstatement of local government independence, and the implementation of term limits from Prime Minister. As Hungary approaches the 2026 parliamentary elections, Magyar's Tisza Party continues to gain momentum positioning him as a formidable contender to challenge Orban's dominance in Hungarian politics. And that's why he's the name of the week. Orban has been a fan on the EU side since too many years, always stopping EU aid from going to Ukraine, supporting Putin at the UN, cracking down on media and civil society, stoking fears in order to keep his power unchallenged and being an all-around corrupt leader siphoning EU funds for his own gain. Not only Hungary's last hope for a democratic, fair and respectful of its citizens and society is also our last hope for a unified European Union in the face of coming challenges. Without their current entry point, neither Putin nor Trump can have an eye or a say in our policy making. But while we appreciate his work, let's still stay cautious. Orban started as a young leader against the communist dictatorship of Hungary. Politicians can unfortunately change their course for the worst. We are now done for today. I hope you had a good time. time following this positive news about Europe and the European Union. And remember, if you want to support me for more podcasts, news and deep dive on our continent, you can support me on my Steady profile. I set a membership that unlock exclusive perks such as exclusive podcasts, newsletters, Q&A sessions, polls and more. Links are in the description. Or you can access it by going to my website eqradio.eu and find the FAQ. It has all the info you need. Alright. I'm off to study German. Hope that you have a great week and I will see you next Tuesday.
