59 Amendments of Carlos COELHO related to 2018/0112(COD)
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Online intermediation services, operating systems and online search engines, as well as the commercial transactions facilitated by those services, have an intrinsic cross- border potential and are of particular importance for the proper functioning of the Union’s internal market in today’s economy. The potentially unfair and harmful trading practices of certain providers of those services in respect of business users and corporate website users hamper the full realisation of that potential and negatively affect the proper functioning of the internal market. In addition, the full realisation of that potential is hampered, and the proper functioning of the internal market is negatively affected, by diverging laws of certain Member States which, with a varying degree of effectiveness, regulate those services, while other Member States are considering adopting such laws.
Amendment 90 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Since online intermediation services, operating systems and online search engines typically have a global dimension, this Regulation should apply to providers of those services regardless of whether they are established in a Member State or outside the Union, provided that two cumulative conditions are met. Firstly, the business users or corporate website users should be established in the Union. Secondly, the business users or corporate website users should, through the provision of those services, offer their goods or services to consumers located in the Union at least for part of the transaction. Such consumers should be located in the Union, but do not need to have their place of residence in the Union nor have the nationality of any Member State. Accordingly, this Regulation should not apply where the business users or corporate websites users are not established in the Union or where they are established in the Union but where they use online intermediation services or online search engines to offer goods or services exclusively to consumers located outside the Union or to persons who are not consumers.
Amendment 113 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Examples of online intermediation services covered by this Regulation should consequently include online e-commerce market places, including collaborative ones on which business users are active, online software applications services such as application stores, and online social media services. However, this Regulation should not apply to online advertising serving tools or online advertising exchanges which are not provided with the aim of facilitating the initiation of direct transactions and which do not involve a contractual relationship with consumers. This Regulation should also not apply to online payment services, since they do not themselves meet the applicable requirements but are rather inherently auxiliary to the transaction for the supply of goods and services to the consumers concerned.
Amendment 143 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) In order to protect business users and to provide for legal certainty for both sides, it should be possible for a competent court to establish that non-compliant terms and conditions are not binding on the business user concerneull and void, with effects ex nunc. Any such finding by a court should however only concern the specific provisions of the terms and conditions which are not compliant. The remaining provisions should remain valid and enforceable, in as far as they can be severed from the non- compliant provisions. Sudden modifications to existing terms and conditions may significantly disrupt business users’ operations. In order to limit such negative effects on business users, and to discourage such behaviour, modifications made in contravention of the obligation to provide a set notice period, should therefore be null and void, that is, deemed to have never existed with effects erga omnes and ex tunc.
Amendment 149 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) A provider of online intermediation services or online search engines can have legitimate reasons to apply restrictions or sanctions to business users, and to decide to suspend or terminate the provision of its services, in whole or in part, to a given business user, including by delisting individual goods or services of a given business user or effectively removing search results. However, given that such decisions can significantly affect the interests of the business user concerned, they should be properly informed of the reasons thereof. The statement of reasons should allow business users to ascertain whether there is scope to challenge the decision, thereby improving the possibilities for business users to seek effective redress where necessary. In addition, requiring a statement of reasons should help to prevent or remedy any unintended removal of online content provided by business users which the provider incorrectly considers to be illegal content, in line with Commission Recommendation (EU) No 2018/33422. The statement of reasons should identify the objective ground or grounds for the decision, based on the grounds that the provider had set out in advance in its terms and conditions, and refer in a proportionate manner to the relevant specific circumstances that led to that decision. _________________ 22 Commission Recommendation (EU) No 2018/334 of 1 March 2018 on measures to effectively tackle illegal content online (OJ L 63, 6.3.2018, p. 50).
Amendment 160 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) The ranking of goods and services by the providers of online intermediation services has an important impact on consumer choice and, consequently, on the commercial success of the business users offering those goods and services to consumers. Providers of online intermediation services should therefore outline the main parameters determining ranking beforehand, in order to improve predictability for business users, to allow them to better understand the functioning of the ranking mechanism and to enable them to compare the ranking practices of various providers. The notion of main parameter should be understood to refer to any general criteria, processes, specific signals incorporated into algorithms or other adjustment or demotion mechanisms used in connection with the ranking. The description of the main parameters determining ranking should also include an explanation of any possibility for business users to actively influence ranking against remuneration, as well as of the relative effects thereof. This description should provide business users with an adequate understanding of how the ranking mechanism takes account of the characteristics of the actual goods or services offered by the business user, and their relevance to the consumers of the specific online intermediation services.
Amendment 167 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Similarly, the ranking of websites by the providers of online search engines, notably of those websites through which undertakings offer goods and services to consumers, has an important impact on consumer choice and the commercial success of corporate website users. Providers of online search engines should therefore provide a description of the main parameters determining the ranking of all indexed websites, including those of corporate website users as well as other websites. In addition to the characteristics of the goods and services and their relevance for consumers, this description should in the case of online search engines also allow corporate website users to obtain an adequate understanding of whether, and if so how and to what extent, certain design characteristics of the website used, such as their optimisation for display on mobile telecommunications devices, is taken into account. In the absence of a contractual relationship between providers of online search engines and corporate website users, that description should be available to the public in an obvious and easily accessible location on the relevant online search engine. To ensure predictability for corporate website users, the description should also be kept up to date, including the possibility that any changes to the main parameters should be made easily identifiable. Whilst the providers are under no circumstances required to disclose any trade secrets as defined in Directive (EU) 2016/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council23 when complying with this requirement to disclose the main ranking parameters, the description given should at least be based on actual data on the relevance of the ranking parameters used. _________________ 23 Directive (EU) 2016/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2016 on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure (OJ L 157, 15.6.2016, p. 1).
Amendment 172 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18 a (new)
Recital 18 a (new)
Amendment 186 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19 b (new)
Recital 19 b (new)
Amendment 198 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21 a (new)
Recital 21 a (new)
(21a) It is important that service providers of online intermediation services, search engines and operating systems, do not engage in unfair commercial practices (including commercial behaviour or the inclusion of unfair contractual terms) which have a detrimental impact on competition or on choice for consumers.
Amendment 201 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21 b (new)
Recital 21 b (new)
(21b) Certain practices, such as the ones mentioned in the Annex, can be conclusively treated as unfair in all circumstances. The Platform Observatory should continuously review this list of practices and recommend updates to the Commission. As the market for online intermediation services evolves, the Commission should issue non-binding guidance on practices that may comprise unfair commercial practices.
Amendment 223 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29 a (new)
Recital 29 a (new)
(29a) A close monitoring of the compliant application of this regulation is necessary. Member States shall designate national authorities to require the relevant information from providers of online intermediation services, online search engines and operating systems providers. The information gathered by those authorities should be provided to the Commission and to the Observatory on the Online Platform Economy upon request.
Amendment 226 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation lays down rules to ensure that business users of online intermediation services, device operating systems and corporate website users in relation to online search engines are granted appropriate transparency and effective redress possibilities.
Amendment 235 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. This Regulation shall apply to online intermediation services, device operating systems and online search engines provided, or offered to be provided, to business users and corporate website users, respectively, that have their place of establishment or residence in the Union and that, through online intermediation services or online search engines, offer goods or services to consumers located in the Union, irrespective of the place of establishment or residence of the providers of those services.
Amendment 238 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. This Regulation shall be without prejudice to national rules which, in conformity with Union law, prohibit or sanction unilateral conduct or unfair commercial practices.
Amendment 242 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) ‘business user’ means any natural or legal person which through online intermediation services offers or seeks to offer goods or services to consumers for purposes relating to its trade, business, craft or profession;
Amendment 261 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 b (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3 b (new)
(3b) ‘operating systems providers’ means any natural or legal person which provides, or which offers to provide, device operating systems.
Amendment 268 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 5
(5) ‘online search engine’ means a digital service that allows users to perform searches of, in principle, all websites or websites in a particular language on the basis of a query on any subject in the form of a keyword, vocal request, phrase or other input, and returns linksresults in any format in which information related to the requested content can be found;
Amendment 285 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Providers of online intermediation services and providers of operating systems shall ensure that their terms and conditions:
Amendment 297 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) are easily available for business users at all stages of their commercial relationship with the provider of online intermediation services or the providers of operating systems, including in the pre- contractual stage;
Amendment 308 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) set out the objective grounds for decisions to suspend or terminate, in whole or in part, the provision of their online intermediation services to business useror of providers of operating systems to business users, or any other restrictions.
Amendment 314 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. Terms and conditions, or specific provisions thereof, which do not comply with the requirements of paragraph 1 shall not be binding on the business user concernebe null and void where such non- compliance is established by a competent court.
Amendment 321 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Providers of online intermediation services shalland providers of operating system shall actively notify to the business users concerned any envisaged modification of their terms and conditions.
Amendment 339 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 4
Article 3 – paragraph 4
4. Modifications to terms and conditions implemented by a provider of online intermediation services or by providers of operating systems contrary to the provisions of paragraph 3 shall be null and void.
Amendment 345 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 5
Article 3 – paragraph 5
5. Paragraph 3 shall not apply where a provider of online intermediation services or a provider of operating systems is subject to a legal obligation which requires it to modify its terms and conditions in a manner which does not allow it to respect the notice period referred to in the second subparagraph of paragraph 3.
Amendment 353 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – title
Article 4 – title
4 Sanctions, suspension and termination
Amendment 354 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Where a provider of online intermediation services and of online search engines decides to sanction suspend or terminate, in whole or in part, the provision of its online intermediation services to a given business user, it shall provideinform the business user concerned at least 15 days before implementing that decision, and provide the business user, without undue delay, with a statement of reasons for that decision.
Amendment 379 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 a (new)
Article 4 a (new)
Article 4a Article 4.1 shall not apply where a provider of online intermediation services is subject to a legal obligation to sanction, suspend, or terminate, in whole or in part, the provision of its online intermediation services to a given business, or does so in order to fight against illicit content. In such cases, the business user shall be notified without undue delay.
Amendment 441 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 a (new)
Article 5 a (new)
Article 5a Providers of online search engines shall apply fair treatment and ranking criteria on a non-discriminatory basis to all corporate website users, including to corporate website users that a provider controls directly or indirectly. In particular, the same underlying processes and methods for the positioning and display in the general search results pages shall be applied. Those include all elements that have an impact on the visibility, triggering, ranking or graphical format of a search result in the providers’ general search results pages.
Amendment 445 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Providers of online intermediation services and providers of operating systems shall include in their terms and conditions a description of any differentiated treatment which they give, or may give, in relation to, on the one hand, goods or services offered to consumers through those online intermediation services or operating systems by either that provider itself or any business users which that provider controls and, on the other hand, other business users.
Amendment 457 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The description referred to in paragraph 1 shall cover at least, where applicable, any differentiated treatment through specific measures taken by, or the behaviour of, the provider of the online intermediation services or of the operating system relating to any of the following:
Amendment 459 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) access that the provider, or that the business users which that provider controls, may have to any personal data or other data, or both, which business users or consumers provide for the use of the online intermediation services or of the operating system concerned or which are generated through the provision of those services;
Amendment 473 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
3. To the extent a provider of online intermediation services, or of operating systems or any business user which that provider controls, offers goods or services that compete with those offered by other business users, the provider shall apply fair treatment to those other business users in such a way that it does not materially impair those business users’ ability to do business.
Amendment 475 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 481 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Providers of online intermediation services and providers of online search engines shall include in their terms and conditions a description of the technical and contractual access, or absence thereof, of business users or corporate website users to any personal data or other data, or both, which business users or corporate website users or consumers provide for the use of the online intermediation services or online search engines concerned or which are generated through the provision of those services.
Amendment 494 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Through the description referred to in paragraph 1, providers of online intermediation services or online search engines shall adequately inform business users at least of the following:
Amendment 497 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) whether the provider of online intermediation services and the provider of online search engines has access to personal data or other data, or both, which business users or corporate website users or consumers provide for the use of those services or which are generated through the provision of those services, and if so, to which categories of such data and under what conditions;
Amendment 503 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) whether a business user has access to personal data or other data, or both, provided by that business user in connection to his or her use of the online intermediation services or online search engines concerned or generated through the provision of those services to that business user and the consumers of his or her goods or services, and if so, to which categories of such data and under what conditions;
Amendment 511 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) whether, in addition to point (b), a business user has access to personal data or other data, or both, including in aggregated form, provided by or generated through the provision of the online intermediation services or online search engines to all of the business users and consumers thereof, and if so, to which categories of such data and under what conditions.
Amendment 536 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. Where, in the provision of their services, providers of online intermediation services or providers of operating systems restrict the ability of business users to offer the same goods and services to consumers under different conditions through other means than through those services, they shall include grounds for that restriction in their terms and conditions and make those grounds easily available to the public. Those grounds shall include the main economic, commercial or legal considerations for those restrictions.
Amendment 548 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Providers of online intermediation services shall provide for anproviders of online search engines, and providers of operating systems shall provide for a transparent and non- discriminatory internal system for handling the complaints of business users.
Amendment 562 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. As part of their internal complaint- handling system, providers of online intermediation services, providers of online search engines, and providers of operating systems shall:
Amendment 573 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Article 9 – paragraph 3
3. Providers of online intermediation services, providers of online search engines, and providers of operating systems shall include in their terms and conditions all relevant information relating to the access to and functioning of their internal complaint-handling system.
Amendment 581 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Providers of online intermediation services, providers of online search engines, and providers of operating systems shall annually establish and make easily available to the public information on the functioning and effectiveness of their internal complaint-handling system.
Amendment 595 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Any attempt to reach an agreement through the internal complaint-handling system in accordance with this article shall not affect the rights of the providers of the online intermediation services and of the business users concerned to initiate judicial proceedings at any time during or after the process.
Amendment 606 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Providers of online intermediation services, providers of online search engines, and providers of operating systems shall identify in their terms and conditions one or more mediators with which they are willing to engage to attempt to reach an agreement with business users on the settlement, out of court, of any disputes between the provider and the business user arising in relation to the provision of the online intermediation services concerned, including complaints that could not be resolved by means of the internal complaint-handling system referred to in Article 9.
Amendment 611 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Providers of online intermediation services, providers of online search engines, and providers of operating systems may only identify mediators providing their mediation services from a location outside the Union where it is ensured that the business users concerned are not effectively deprived of the benefit of any legal safeguards laid down in Union law or the law of the Member States as a consequence of the mediators providing those services from outside the Union.
Amendment 614 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) their mediation services are affordable for an average business user of the online intermediation services, the online search engines, and the operating systems concerned;
Amendment 615 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) they are capable of providing their mediation services in the language of the terms and conditions which govern the contractual relationship between the provider of online intermediation services, the provider of online search engines, or the provider of operating systems and the business user concerned;
Amendment 617 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 3
Article 10 – paragraph 3
3. Providers of online intermediation services, providers of online search engines, and providers of operating systems shall engage in good faith in any attempt to reach an agreement through the mediation of any of the mediators which they identified in accordance with paragraph 1, with a view to reaching an agreement on the settlement of the dispute.
Amendment 633 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 4
Article 10 – paragraph 4
4. Providers of online intermediation services , providers of online search engines, and providers of operating systems shall bear a reasonable proportion of the total costs of mediation in each individual case. A reasonable proportion of those total costs shall be determined, on the basis of a suggestion by the mediator, by taking into account all relevant elements of the case at hand, in particular the relative merits of the claims of the parties to the dispute, the conduct of the parties, as well as the size and financial strength of the parties relative to one another. However, providers of online intermediation services, providers of online search engines, and providers of operating systems shall in any case bear at least half of the total cost.
Amendment 640 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 5
Article 10 – paragraph 5
5. Any attempt to reach an agreement through mediation on the settlement of a dispute in accordance with this Article shall not affect the rights of the providers of the online intermediation services, online search engine, or operating systems and of the business users concerned to initiate judicial proceedings at any time during or after the mediation process.
Amendment 651 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
The Commission shall encourage providers of online intermediation services, providers of online search engines, and providers of operating systems as well as organisations and associations representing them to individually or jointly set up one or more organisations providing mediation services which meet the requirements specified in Article 10(2), for the specific purpose of facilitating the out-of-court settlement of disputes with business users arising in relation to the provision of those services, taking particular account of the cross- border nature of online intermediation services, online search engines, and operating systems.
Amendment 657 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 1
1. Organisations and associations that have a legitimate interest in representing business users or in representing corporate website users, as well as public bodies set up in Member States, shall have the right to take action before national courts in the Union, in accordance with the rules of the law of the Member State where the action is brought, to stop or prohibit any non- compliance by providers of online intermediation services or by providers of online search engines or by providers of operating systems with the relevant requirements laid down in this Regulation.
Amendment 693 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 3
Article 12 – paragraph 3
3. The right referred to in paragraph 1 shall be without prejudice to the rights of business users and corporate website users to individually take action before competent national courts, in accordance with the rules of the law of the Member State where the action is brought, to address any non-compliance by providers of online intermediation services by providers of online search engines, or by providers of operating systems with the relevant requirements laid down in this Regulation.
Amendment 701 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1
Article 13 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall encourage the drawing up of codes of conduct by providers of online intermediation services and by organisations and associations representing them, together with business users and their representative organisations, intended to contribute to the proper application of this Regulation, taking account of the specific features of the various sectors in which online intermediation services are provided, as well as of the specific characteristics of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
Amendment 703 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
The Commission shall encourage the drawing up of codes of conduct by providers of operating systems and by organisations and associations representing them, intended to contribute to the proper application of this Regulation.
Amendment 706 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 a (new)
Article 13 a (new)
Article 13a Remedies 1. Member States shall designate a body or bodies responsible for adequate and effective enforcement of this regulation. 2. Member States shall determine the sanctions applicable to infringements of the provisions contained in this Regulation and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are enforced. These sanctions shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. 3. The measures referred to in paragraph 1 shall be communicated to the Commission and made publicly available on the Commission’s website.
Amendment 710 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 b (new)
Article 13 b (new)
Article 13b Monitoring Member States shall closely monitor the application of this regulation. To that end, Member states shall designate national authorities to require providers of online intermediation services, online search engines and operating systems providers to submit relevant information. The information gathered by those authorities shall be provided to the Commission and to the Observatory on the Online Platform Economy upon request.