On 2 July, the European Commission hosted a stakeholder roundtable as part of its ongoing market investigation into cloud computing services under Article 19 of the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The roundtable brought together cloud providers, business users, software providers and technical experts to exchange views on practices that may affect contestability and fairness in cloud markets.
The discussions focused on three themes:
- interoperability and technical features;
- financial conditions; and
- contractual and commercial practices.
Building on the evidence gathered during the ongoing market investigation, participants discussed practical technical, commercial and regulatory approaches that could reduce barriers to switching, facilitate interoperability and strengthen customer choice. Particular emphasis was placed on identifying the measures that would have the greatest impact on contestability and fairness in cloud computing services.
This roundtable forms part of the Commission’s ongoing fact-finding exercise in the context of the market investigation to assess whether the current obligations under the DMA are effective in addressing practices that limit competitiveness or are unfair in the cloud sector. The views expressed by participants will contribute to the Commission’s assessment, alongside the evidence gathered throughout the investigation. This investigation is distinct and separate from the Commission’s pending investigations into the potential designation of two cloud providers.
As announced when opening the investigation, the Commission will publish a report setting out its findings within 18 months from opening at the latest (May 2027).