Høringer

The European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) will hold a public hearing on 24 June on protecting children online. The event follows Parliament’s 2025 report on the issue and will bring together EU institutions and stakeholders to discuss how existing rules are working, where gaps remain, and what further action may be needed to better protect minors when they use online services and digital platforms.

Members of the European Parliament held a public hearing on the role of construction materials and the construction products framework in delivering affordable, safe and sustainable housing across Europe. The discussion examined the drivers behind rising housing costs and explore ways to increase the supply of affordable homes, with particular focus on material costs and the regulatory conditions affecting construction capacity.

Three European Parliament committees, IMCO, JURI and PETI, held a public hearing on the European Citizens’ Initiative “Stop Destroying Videogames.” The hearing follows the initiative’s submission on 26 January 2026 and gave its organisers the chance to present their proposal. Members of Parliament questioned the European Commission about actions it may take in response.

This hearing covered the upcoming revision of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation, which governs how EU countries work together to enforce consumer protection rules. Academic experts, representatives from consumer and business organisations, national authorities and the Commission discussed challenges and possible improvements. The hearing aimed to assess whether existing cooperation tools remain effective in addressing cross-border consumer issues and the evolving digital economy.

Cloud computing services are at the core of the EU’s digital transformation and vital to the functioning of the Digital Single Market. IMCO organised a public hearing to assess the current landscape of cloud services in the Internal Market and, more specifically, to have a closer look at the implementation of Chapter VI (“Switching between data processing services”) of the Data Act. These provisions, under IMCO’s remit, address key issues such as cloud interoperability and data portability.

The public hearing explored major challenges faced by European consumers in the digital environment, bringing together speakers from the Commission, data protection bodies, academia, and industry. Exchanges centred on algorithm transparency, content moderation, and consumer protection, particularly in light of the growing dominance of global platforms and Europe’s reliance on services from the U.S. and China.

The IMCO-PETI joint Public Hearing 'Protecting children and adolescents in digital environments: challenges and policy solutions' based on Petitions 0005/2021, 1189/2024, 1428/2024, 1479/2024 and 0081/2025

Services accounted for nearly three quarters of the EU’s gross value added and employment in 2024, showing their key economic role. However, the services sector remains the least integrated part of the Single Market due to persistent cross-border barriers that limit innovation, scaling, and business opportunities. Remarkably, 60% of these barriers are the same as 20 years ago. Reducing non-tariff barriers by just 10% could boost EU gross value added by 0.5%.

IMCO held a public hearing on rising consumer prices in the EU internal market, with experts from the European Commission, European Central Bank, international organizations, consumer and business representatives, and academia. The aim of the hearing was to analyse the persistent rise of consumer prices across the EU internal market and its implications for consumer welfare and the resilience of the Single Market.

This public hearing brought together policymakers, experts and stakeholders to examine the Single Market Strategy, adopted on 21 May 2025 by the European Commission. This strategy aims to strengthen the Single Market by modernising governance, removing barriers, and ensuring consistent implementation across the EU. Renowned academic, former Prime Minister of Italy and former European Commissioner Professor Mario Monti delivered a keynote speech at this event.

IMCO held a public hearing on the safe internet use for minors. Industry stakeholders, consumer associations, national enforcement authorities, experts on children’s rights, data protection authority and the European Commission have all participated.

On 18 March, the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) hosted a public hearing about the enforcement and implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The aim of the hearing is to discuss the effective implementation and enforcement of the DSA.