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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The European Commission has a call for experts open until 5 June with a focus on the online platform economy.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/call-experts-observatory-online-platform-economy" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/call-experts-observatory-online-platform-economy</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The initial set of tasks for the expert groups would be to draw up policy advice on the following topics:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">(i) issues related to algorithmic decision-making and ranking in connection with the provision of online intermediation
 services and online search engines, including the question of transparency;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">(ii) access to, and use of, different categories of personal data and other data, in compliance with data protection
 rules, provided or generated in the context of the provision and use of online intermediation services and online search engines;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">(iii) issues related to remuneration for material displayed online, in particular in relation to search results;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">(iv) transparency and accountability in business-to-business commercial relations in online advertising;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">(v) differentiated treatment which providers of online intermediation services might give to goods and services offered
 by themselves or by the undertakings which they control;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">(vi) restrictions to offer different conditions when using other distribution channels which providers of online
 intermediation services might impose on business users;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">(vii) possible impacts of these potentially harmful practices on consumers;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The full mandate is available here:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/commission-decision-group-experts-observatory-online-platform-economy" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/commission-decision-group-experts-observatory-online-platform-economy</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">We are primarily looking for independent experts for this observatory, especially for those who can help with crafting
 policy-relevant analysis grounded in a deep understanding of the platform economy.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">We estimate a workload of approx. 3 meetings in Brussels/year, each with approx. 1-2 days preparation and follow-up.
 The work of this expert group will feed directly into future regulatory and non-regulatory policy-options for the European Commission.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Please feel free to disseminate the call to any researchers and other experts who might be interested.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Prabhat</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">PRABHAT AGARWAL, PhD</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Deputy Head of Unit<b> </b></span><a name="m_-7689403714406913747_m_-61609456809434"></a><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><img border="0" width="100" height="49" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.gif@01D3F6CB.B43DA850" alt="cid:image001.gif@01D3F60F.7DC60C70"></span><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">European Commission</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Directorate-General for Communication Networks, Content and Technology</span><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">eCommerce and Platforms</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><span lang="DE" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">BU25 06/117</span><b><span lang="DE" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><span lang="DE" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">B-1049 Brussels/Belgium</span><b><span lang="DE" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><span lang="DE" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">+32 229-87153</span><b><span lang="DE" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><a href="mailto:prabhat.agarwal@ec.europa.eu" target="_blank"><span lang="DE" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">prabhat.agarwal@ec.europa.eu</span></a></span><b><span lang="DE" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
<br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><a href="http://www.twitter.com/prabprab" target="_blank"><span lang="DE" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"">@prabprab</span></a></span><span lang="DE"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="DE" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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