‘If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere’ : online platforms meet the European Union

For many years, the European Union (EU) has treated online platforms like any other business, using existing policy tools and regulatory approaches whenever it interacted with them. More recently, but especially during the Juncker Commission (2014-2019), this position has evolved significantly. In fact, the EU should be credited for being the first political system to have developed legislation exclusively targeting online platforms. This transition has been incremental and is far from concluded. But as the emergence of online platforms has called for dedicated regulation, it has also exposed the limits of the EU to deal with them, especially in terms of competence. While neither the EU nor its Member States have, on their own, the necessary tools and resources to regulate online platforms effectively and holistically, they cannot avoid working together if they are to preserve the integrity of the single market, one of Europe’s greatest assets.