Geo-blocking is when European customers are not allowed to purchase goods or services across borders by providers operating within the European Union (EU) internal market. The same applies if the goods or services are not offered under the same conditions as for nationals.

Suppliers may offer their goods and services to different customer groups or in different countries in different languages and at different prices and conditions, but if a customer from another EU country wants to order via the supplier's domestic website, they must be able to do so at the same prices and conditions as nationals.

According to the Geo-blocking Regulation, discrimination against customers on the grounds of

• place of residence,
• place of establishment or
• nationality

are not permitted.

Customers include consumers who

• are nationals of an EU country or
• have their place of residence in an EU country and

end-user companies that

• are established in an EU country and
• use services exclusively for end use or
• purchase goods for end use.

The Geo-blocking Regulation does not protect companies that resell, transform, process, lease or subcontract goods or services.

There are also numerous exceptions. These concern both certain types of services and certain unequal treatment, for example due to other legal provisions.

If the provisions of the Geo-blocking Regulation are violated, the Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway (BNetzA) can issue orders or impose fines on German providers.

As part of the European CPC network, the BNetzA can request the competent national authority of the EU country in question to take measures against providers in other EU countries.

CPC stands for "Consumer Protection Cooperation" and refers to a European network of authorities whose task is to enforce consumer rights.

You can submit a complaint about a breach of the Geo-blocking Regulation online using the "Geo-blocking complaint form" on the BNetzA website.