From 1 April 2018, Europeans will have access to online content for which they have made subscription at home. This effectively eliminates geoblocking in digital entertainment platforms that provide movie streaming, listening to online music or playing video games.
When you travel inside the European Union you will no longer miss your favorite movies, TV series and sports shows, as well as online games or e-books for which you have a digital subscription. The rules apply to both paid services and free content, as long as it is available to your home country.
The solution is good not only for the end user, but also for online content providers themselves, as they will no longer have to acquire licenses for the countries where their subscribers travel.
The repeal of restrictions that prevented Europeans from using their subscriptions for digital media and content is a new success for the Digital Single Market after the effective abolition of roaming charges. This was greatly appreciated by the consumers across Europe since June 2017. These moves are an expression of the change in the way everyday life works in the digital era and the need in front of the EU to adapt to it by removing regulatory barriers and moving from the fragmentation of national markets to a single market.
Within this strategy, Brussels focuses on three key areas: a data-driven economy; cybersecurity and online platforms, where further action is needed. It is in the third area, that services such as Netflix, Spotify, NBO, Steam, etc. will be widely available after 1 April. So far, access to such platforms is often unavailable when travelling within the EU because of geoblocking and protection of copyright.
The single digital market is a key priority of the Bulgarian presidency of the Council of EU. The three countries that are chairing the EU from July 2017 to December 2018, respectively Estonia, Bulgaria and Austria, must complete the legislative changes for the completion of the Digital Single Market. During the Bulgarian mandate, the issues being addressed are the ones ensuring a competitive and fair digital market, the development of connectivity within the EU, an update of the regulatory framework for telecommunications, the security and protection of personal data and the development of the European data-driven economy.
