[REPLAY] The EU and the New Governance of Digital Markets – Annual Conference 2020

For the new European Commission, the year 2020 was shaping up to be a decisive one, particularly in terms of its digital strategy. In June, the European Commission announced a Digital Services Act (DSA) package to be released in December. In July, the European Court of Justice invalidated the Privacy Shield, thereby undermining the legal basis for data transfers to the United States. In this context, the 2020 edition of the annual conference of the Chair Digital, Governance and Sovereignty, which took place on Wednesday November 18, was dedicated to these two important developments, both of which lead to new modes of regulation.

Panel 1 “Towards the Digital Services Act”

The first panel dissected the significance of the new DSA package for the Digital Single Market and how the European view for Big Tech differs from the reforms currently being discussed in the US. The debate brought together Ioannis Lianos, professor at University College London, and President of the Hellenic Competition Commission, Alexandre de Streel, professeur at the University of Namur et William Kovacic, professor at George Washington University, former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission et non executive Director of the UK Competition and Markets Authority. The discussion was moderated by Filippo Lancieri, Fellow at the Stigler Center of the University of Chicago.

Panel 2 “Data Governance after Schrems II”

The second panel discussed the aftermath of the Schrems II ruling and envision what the future legal framework governing data exchange across the Atlantic might look like. Florence G’sell, co-head of the Chair Digital, Governance and Sovereignty, moderated the discussion between Bruno Gencarelli, Head of the International data flows and protection unit at the European Commission (DG Justice and Consumers), Theodore Christakis, professor at Grenoble Alpes University and Anupam Chander, professor at Georgetown University.