The EU’s Digital Single Market Strategy

It was a Commission plan to join national online markets into one. This card gives the date, the people and the numbers.

What did the Commission launch in 2015?

The European Commission adopted the strategy on 6 May 2015. Its full title is “A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe”. Its document number is COM(2015) 192 final.

Jean-Claude Juncker’s political guidelines of 15 July 2014 had listed “A Connected Digital Single Market” as priority number two.

Andrus Ansip was the Commission Vice-President for the Digital Single Market.

What was the aim?

The Commission’s aim was to tear down regulatory walls. It wanted to move from 28 national markets to a single one.

It said a fully functional Digital Single Market could add EUR 415 billion a year to the economy.

Why did it say the plan was needed?

In 2015 the Commission said only 15% of people shopped online from another EU country. It said only 7% of SMEs sold across borders. SMEs are small and medium-sized firms.

Which words should I know?

• Single market: one area where firms and buyers can trade across borders without extra barriers.
• Geo-blocking: denying access to websites based in other Member States for commercial reasons.
• Pillar: one of the three main parts of the plan.

The strategy rests on three pillars. This card gives their wording and what the roadmap listed.

What are the three pillars?

• Pillar 1: better access for consumers and businesses to online goods and services across Europe.
• Pillar 2: creating the right conditions for digital networks and services to flourish.
• Pillar 3: maximising the growth potential of the European digital economy.

Pillar 2 is about networks and services. It is not only about infrastructure.

What were the 16 key actions?

The launch release listed 16 key actions under the three pillars. The Commission said it would deliver them by the end of 2016.

Pillar 1: better access to online goods and services

1. Propose rules to make cross-border e-commerce easier, including EU contract and consumer-protection rules for online buying.
2. Enforce consumer rules faster, by reviewing the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation.
3. Propose more efficient and affordable parcel delivery.
4. Propose action to end unjustified geo-blocking.
5. Identify competition concerns in e-commerce markets. The Commission opened an antitrust inquiry into the sector that day.
6. Propose a modern, more European copyright law.
7. Review the Satellite and Cable Directive, to see if it should cover broadcasters’ online transmissions.
8. Cut the burden of different VAT regimes. Sellers would get one electronic registration and payment, and a common VAT threshold.

Pillar 2: the right conditions for networks and services

9. Present an ambitious overhaul of EU telecoms rules.
10. Review the audiovisual media framework, including the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.
11. Analyse the role of online platforms, such as search engines, social media and app stores.
12. Reinforce trust and security in digital services, including a review of the e-Privacy Directive.
13. Propose a partnership with industry on cybersecurity.

Pillar 3: growth potential of the digital economy

14. Propose a European free flow of data initiative. Also launch a European Cloud initiative.
15. Define priorities for standards and interoperability, in areas such as e-health, transport planning and smart metering.
16. Support an inclusive digital society with the right skills. A new e-government action plan is part of this action.

Three EU laws grew from pillar 1. This card gives each law and its date.

What happened to roaming charges?

Regulation (EU) 2015/2120 provided for ending retail roaming surcharges from 15 June 2017. That date applied only if the wholesale roaming rules were applicable.

The rules were recast in Regulation (EU) 2022/612 of 6 April 2022. The recast Regulation expires on 30 June 2032.

The Commission’s roaming page says “Roam Like at Home” was extended to Ukraine and Moldova on 1 January 2026. On 25 February 2026 the Commission proposed opening talks with six Western Balkan countries.

What is portability?

Regulation (EU) 2017/1128 covers cross-border portability of online content services. It is dated 14 June 2017 and applies from 20 March 2018.

What does the Geo-blocking Regulation do?

Regulation (EU) 2018/302 is dated 28 February 2018. The Commission says it defines three situations of unjustified geo-blocking:

• selling goods without physical delivery
• selling electronic services
• selling services at a physical location

It has applied since 3 December 2018. The Commission sent a stock-taking report to Parliament and the Council on 18 July 2024. It found remaining barriers such as diverging national rules, certain taxation requirements and parcel delivery costs.

The strategy was reviewed at the middle of the Commission’s term. This card gives that review and the data-protection law that followed.

What did the mid-term review find?

The Commission published the mid-term review on 10 May 2017, at the middle of its mandate. By then it had delivered 35 legislative proposals and policy initiatives.

The review named three areas for more action: the data economy, cybersecurity and online platforms.

What is the GDPR?

The GDPR is Regulation (EU) 2016/679. It was signed at Brussels on 27 April 2016.

It applies from 25 May 2018. It repealed Directive 95/46/EC on that date.

The highest fines are EUR 20 million or 4% of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher.

Both laws were agreed in 2022. This card gives their dates, their size tests and who enforces them.

What is the Digital Services Act?

The Digital Services Act (DSA) is Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, dated 19 October 2022. It applies from 17 February 2024. Some provisions applied from 16 November 2022.

Extra duties cover very large platforms and search engines with 45 million or more monthly users in the EU.

The Commission can fine a very large platform up to 6% of its worldwide annual turnover. The Commission and national Digital Services Coordinators enforce the DSA together.

What is the Digital Markets Act?

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, dated 14 September 2022. It applies from 2 May 2023.

A firm can be presumed a gatekeeper with at least 45 million monthly end users in the EU. It also needs at least 10,000 yearly business users. DMA fines can reach 10% of worldwide turnover, and 20% for repeat breaches.

The Commission is the sole enforcer of the DMA.

Who are the gatekeepers?

The Commission designated six gatekeepers on 6 September 2023: Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft.

Booking was designated on 13 May 2024. The Commission’s page lists 23 designated core platform services (as at 9 October 2026).

The Data Act covers data from connected products and cloud switching. This card gives its dates and the Digital Decade goal.

What is the Data Act?

The Data Act is Regulation (EU) 2023/2854, dated 13 December 2023. It entered into force on 11 January 2024 and applies from 12 September 2025.

The design duty for connected products applies to products placed on the market after 12 September 2026. The Act also sets rules for switching between cloud providers.

What is the Digital Decade?

The Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030 is Decision (EU) 2022/2481 of 14 December 2022. One of its targets is 100% online access to key public services.

The AI Act’s high-risk rules were pushed back in July 2026. This card gives the original dates, the delay and the new bans.

What does the AI Act say?

The AI Act is Regulation (EU) 2024/1689. It entered into force on 1 August 2024.

Banned AI practices and AI literacy duties applied from 2 February 2025. Governance rules and duties for general-purpose AI models applied from 2 August 2025.

Fines for banned practices reach EUR 35 million or 7% of worldwide turnover. The original text set general application for 2 August 2026.

How was it delayed?

The Commission adopted its AI Omnibus proposal on 19 November 2025. Parliament and Council reached political agreement on 7 May 2026. Parliament voted on 16 June 2026. The Council adopted the act on 29 June 2026.

The final act is Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 of 8 July 2026. It was published in the Official Journal on 24 July 2026. It entered into force on the third day after publication. The Commission dates that as 27 July 2026.

High-risk rules for Annex III uses now apply from 2 December 2027. Annex III covers areas like biometrics, education, employment and border control.

High-risk rules for AI in regulated products (Annex I) now apply from 2 August 2028.

The omnibus adds a ban on AI “nudification” apps and AI-generated child sexual abuse material. That ban applies from 2 December 2026.

The Commission says that from 2 August 2026 the AI Office and Member State authorities are responsible for implementing, supervising and enforcing the Act.

The Commission wants simpler digital rules. This card shows the proposal and its place in Parliament on 9 October 2026.

What did the Commission propose?

The Commission adopted the Digital Omnibus package on 19 November 2025. It has two proposed regulations: one on data, cybersecurity and privacy, and one on AI.

The AI proposal is the one that became Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (card 7).

The data proposal would merge the Data Governance Act, Open Data Directive and Free Flow Regulation into the Data Act. It would also repeal the platform-to-business Regulation.

It is file 2025/0360(COD), COM(2025) 837. It would amend the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive.

The Commission calls the omnibus a first step. It plans a “Digital Fitness Check” of the whole rulebook. It links the drive to the 2024 Draghi report on competitiveness.

Where does the data proposal stand?

As at 9 October 2026 its stage in Parliament is “Awaiting committee decision”. The ITRE and LIBE committees share the file. The rapporteurs are Aura Salla and Marina Kaljurand.

A committee draft report is dated 22 June 2026. Amendments were tabled on 27 July 2026.

So the GDPR changes are still only a proposal.

The Commission has fined firms under both new platform laws. This card lists the fines and the top limits.

Which fines has the Commission announced?

• X (DSA): EUR 120 million on 5 December 2025. It was the first non-compliance decision under the DSA.
• Temu (DSA): EUR 200 million, announced on 28 May 2026.
• AliExpress (DSA): EUR 550 million, announced on 20 July 2026.
• Google (DMA): EUR 890 million on 23 July 2026.

The Google sum is EUR 460 million for search self-preferencing and EUR 430 million for Google Play anti-steering.

How high can fines go?

EU digital rules reach beyond Europe. Indian firms feel them through data law and through trade talks.

Does the GDPR apply to Indian firms?

• The GDPR can apply to a firm that is not based in the EU. This happens if it offers goods or services to people in the EU, or monitors their behaviour there.
• Such a firm must name a representative in the EU. This is in Article 27.
• Many Indian IT and BPO firms handle data for EU clients. Article 28 requires a binding contract with each processor.

Can personal data flow freely from the EU to India?

• An EU adequacy decision lets data flow to a country without extra safeguards.
• On the Commission’s adequacy page, checked on 9 October 2026, India is not on the list.
• Without a decision, firms must use another safeguard. One example is the Commission’s standard data protection clauses in Article 46.

What does the India-EU trade deal say about services?

• India and the EU concluded their free trade agreement talks on 27 January 2026.
• India’s press release says the EU made commitments for IT and IT-enabled services. India gets access to 144 EU subsectors.
• The deal covers digital trade. It also eases business travel, including for contractual service suppliers in 37 EU sectors and sub-sectors.
• The release does not mention a data adequacy decision for India.

The 2017 paper asked which body the strategy belongs to. This card shows the question, the answer and the traps.

Which question was it?

What is the answer?

The answer is the EU. The strategy is a European Commission document, COM(2015) 192. The official UPSC key for Series A gives (c) EU.

What else has UPSC asked about the EU?

UPSC CSP 2026 GS Paper I, Q75 asked which of Belarus, Poland, Germany and Switzerland are members of the European Union.

UPSC CSP 2025 GS Paper I, Q90 asked which organisation has enacted the Nature Restoration Law. Option (a) was the European Union.

What are the traps?

1. Name only. The 2017 question gave the strategy’s name with no acronym. It belongs to the EU.
2. Not 30 initiatives. The launch release counted 16. The 2017 review counted 35 delivered.
3. Pillar 2 is not only cables. It covers networks and services.
4. GDPR dates. Signed on 27 April 2016. Applies from 25 May 2018.
5. DSA is not DMA. The DMA applies from 2 May 2023. The DSA applies from 17 February 2024.
6. Who enforces. The Commission alone enforces the DMA. The DSA is shared.
7. AI Act dates moved. Annex III from 2 December 2027. Annex I from 2 August 2028.
8. Omnibus is a proposal. The data and privacy part was still awaiting a committee decision on 9 October 2026.