Episode 23- Jan Blockx - Meta-Regulation, DMA Compliance, and the Future of Digital Markets Policy

Anush Ganesh and Kena Zheng speak with Jan Blockx, Assistant Professor at the University of Antwerp and member of the Belgian Competition Authority's decision-making body, about the Digital Markets Act and its enforcement record. Drawing on Jan's research in JECLAP and his recent working paper on meta-regulation, the conversation explores whether the DMA has delivered on its promise to address platform power more effectively than traditional antitrust tools, how gatekeepers are navigating the procedural compliance apparatus, and whether the structural tension between regulatory objectives and platform incentives undermines the entire meta-regulatory approach. The discussion also covers the interaction between DMA obligations and Article 102 TFEU enforcement, the case for decentralised enforcement through national competition authorities, and whether the Commission's Digital Omnibus proposals represent meaningful simplification or a retreat from regulatory ambition.Lastly, Jan also discusses the need for EU tech sovereignty on the back of a recent conference he co-organised at the University of Antwerp.