Geo-blocking: Council agrees to remove barriers to e-commerce

On 28 November 2016, the Council agreed on a draft regulation to ban unjustified geo-blocking between member states.

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.

The draft regulation is intended to remove discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment and to boost e-commerce.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Competitiveness Council, 28-29 November 2016 http://www.europeansources.info/record/competitiveness-council-28-29-november-2016/

EUObserver, 28.11.16: Data reform more complex than I thought, says EU commissioner https://euobserver.com/digital/136061

Deutsche Welle, 28.11.16: EU agrees to ban geo-blocking restrictions on e-commerce http://dw.com/p/2TO7p

ESO: Proposal for a Regulation on addressing geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment within the internal market http://www.europeansources.info/record/proposal-for-a-regulation-on-addressing-geo-blocking-and-other-forms-of-discrimination-based-on-customers-nationality-place-of-residence-or-place-of-establishment-within-the-internal-market/

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