Geo-blocking: EU rules don’t reach beyond Europe. Now France now pays for its ‘grandeur’

Brussels – The European Union goes beyond Europe, but EU regulations get lost in the world: this is the case with France and its overseas territories, which, because of their geographical location, are not affected by anti-geoblocking rules, meaning that it’s impossible to watch TV series from one country to another. EU institutions banned online restrictions in 2018 to avoid discrimination and create a single, harmonized market for audiovisual services on the Internet. France, however, is not alone in Europe. As many as 13 portions of French territory are located on other continents, making it impossible to implement some common rules, starting with geo-blocking.

French MEPs (from Rassemblement National) raised the case, with the European Commission forced to call for caution. First and foremost, the geo-blocking regulation applies “within the internal market,” Margrethe Vestager, executive vice president in charge of Competition, recalled, responding to MEPs.It covers the 27 EU member states and Norway, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, and Iceland. Secondly, “the enforcement of the regulation is a competence of the member states, which “are required to designate bodies providing practical assistance to consumers in case of a dispute, including providing information on the applicable rules and on the available remedies.” If they do not, the Commission can take action against the state, initiating infringement proceedings. 

The request coming from Rassemblement National thus appears misplaced. From the reply provided in Brussels, the implicit suggestion is to turn to the government in Paris, on the understanding that in any case, Vestager assures, the Commission “continues to monitor the implementation of this regulation, which is due to be reviewed in 2025, and to work with national authorities to address any instances of non-compliance.”