Bitkom welcomes the consultation for a Digital Fairness Act but emphasises that most of the issues addressed in it are already covered by existing regulations. However, there is a lack of consistent and effective enforcement, and the existing regulations are therefore failing to have their intended effect. It is crucial that the applicable regulations are applied uniformly in all Member States and to non-European market participants.
The main objective of this consultation should be to eliminate duplicate regulations and reduce administrative burdens, while maintaining an appropriate level of consumer protection. The first step must be to simplify the existing rules and create a more coherent framework, which is particularly important for SMEs. Additional rules could lead to overlaps or contradictions and burden businesses with further, potentially unnecessary obligations without adding real value to consumer protection. Therefore, before introducing new rules, the Commission should first carry out a comprehensive legal mapping of the existing legal framework (including guidelines, directives and national transpositions) to ensure that overlaps and fragmented rules are avoided.
