eDreams ODIGEO Rejects Proposed Changes by Google and Urges Ending Self-Preferential Treatment for Fairer Competition

• Google's proposed solution in response to the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) falls short of meeting the essential requirement to treat rival services and products on an equal footing with its own.
• eDreams ODIGEO urges Google to uphold compliance with DMA by March 7^th, thereby addressing the enduring and longstanding disadvantages imposed on competing platforms.

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eDreams ODIGEO (hereinafter, “the Company”), the world’s largest travel subscription platform and one of Europe’s largest e-commerce businesses, today firmly rejects the solution recently proposed and progressively rolled out by Google in response to the new European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Coming into force on March 7th, 2024, the regulation is designed to put an end to persistent unfair practices in the digital ecosystem and address the practices of digital gatekeepers in the online marketplace. A key anticipated outcome is that Google ceases the enduring self-preferencing of its services on its search engine, thereby eliminating longstanding disadvantages imposed on competitors and allowing for fairer competition and more equitable access by consumers to a diversity of products.

However, the proposed solution by Google does not fulfil these objectives. It continues to raise substantial competitive concerns within the travel retailing industry, particularly by perpetuating long-standing self-favouring practices that actively encourage consumers to remain within Google’s ecosystem.

While acknowledging the proactive measures taken by the European Commission to uphold a fair digital ecosystem in Europe, as outlined in the Digital Markets Act, eDreams ODIGEO emphasises that designated gatekeepers must strictly adhere to the established principles and expresses disappointment in noting that, based on the information available as of today, a significant player like Google falls well below the mark in complying with the comprehensive objectives outlined in the DMA. eDreams ODIGEO awaits the European Commission’s decisive action in ensuring compliance with the DMA.

Dana Dunne, Chief Executive Officer at eDreams ODIGEO said: “The enforcement of the DMA provides a significant opportunity to address the persistent imbalance that has existed for years in the European digital landscape, creating a chance for a fairer and more equitable digital ecosystem.

“We appreciate the European Commission's dedicated efforts to foster fairer competition within the European digital landscape. The significance of cultivating a competitive and transparent marketplace cannot be emphasised enough, given its direct impact on providing consumers with a diverse array of choices.

“Beyond the immediate consumer benefits, a fairer digital environment will reinforce a thriving and innovative tech ecosystem in Europe. This sets the stage for European tech powerhouses to continue to innovate and compete on a level playing field, overcoming long standing obstacles in a marketplace with significantly enhanced fairness compared to the existing scenario. We urge continued vigilance and decisive action to ensure a marketplace that fosters healthier competition and fuels continued innovation for the benefit of all.”

Furthermore, despite the European Commission's guidance urging gatekeepers to engage with third parties and end users before the compliance deadline, ensuring that their proposed solutions align with the intended purpose and foster desired competitive outcomes, eDreams ODIGEO regrets that such consultations have not resulted at this stage in a solution that complies with DMA.

Concerns about the current state of compliance just 44 days before the entry into force of the DMA are shared by thousands of businesses across Europe¹. eDreams ODIGEO has joined a large coalition of organisations from different sectors in calling on gatekeepers to engage in constructive dialogue and achieve full compliance with DMA obligations by March 7th.

About eDreams ODIGEO

eDreams ODIGEO is the world’s leading travel subscription platform and one of the largest e-commerce businesses in Europe. Under its four renowned online travel agency brands – eDreams, GO Voyages, Opodo, Travellink, and the metasearch engine Liligo – it serves more than 20 million customers per year across 44 markets. Listed on the Spanish Stock Market, eDreams ODIGEO works with nearly 700 airlines. The business conceptualised Prime, the first subscription product in the travel sector which has topped 5.2 million members since launching in 2017. The brand offers the best quality products in regular flights, low-cost airlines, hotels, dynamic packages, car rental and travel insurance to make travel easier, more accessible, and better value for consumers across the globe.

¹tps://eutraveltech.eu/eu-travel-tech-joins-thousands-of-organisations-calling-on-gatekeepers-to-ensure-full-compliance-with-the-dma-obligations-by-march-7th/