Press releases
Newspaper and magazine publishers have repeatedly expressed their concerns about Google's activities in the online search and advertising markets,
including its preferential treatment of its own content over that of third parties. It is essential that the commitments, offered this week by Google to the European Commission, bring an end to the manipulation of search results which threaten to turn the open Internet into a closed Google Shop. Given Google’s pan-European market share of 94% in search, any remedies imposed on Google should leave no loopholes for circumvention and safeguard the open Internet to the benefit of free markets, businesses and consumers alike.ENPA President, Ivar Rusdal, said: “European Commission Vice-President Almunia has given assurances that newspaper publishers will be involved in discussions on the remedies offered by Google. These discussions should now take place as a matter of urgency, with
the aim of achieving a real and binding solution to all of the serious concerns raised by publishers.” EMMA President, David Hanger, said: “It is vital that the European Commission ensures acomplete and sustainable resolution of all concerns that have been identified in the past regarding Google’s dominant position in search.”
Press publishers have stressed that any commitments offered by Google should ensure effective and sustainable solutions to the concerns raised as regards Google’s activities as a news aggregator, as well as its role in the online search and advertising markets. Any failure to do so would have grave consequences for competition, innovation and consumer choice. ENPA and EMMA members in a number of countries are actively involved in competition complaints against Google, in response to Google's activities which threaten to undermine fair competition in online markets across Europe.
The European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA) is the largest representative body of newspaper publishers across Europe. ENPA advocates for 14 national associations across 14 European countries, and is a principal interlocutor to the EU institutions and a key driver of media policy debates in the European Union.
