Annex A. General

• 1.

  This Annex aims at specifying the methodology for identifying and calculating the ‘active end users’ and the ‘active business users’ for each core platform service listed in Article 2, point (2). It provides a reference to enable an undertaking to assess whether its core platform services meet the quantitative thresholds set out in Article 3(2), point (b) and would therefore be presumed to meet the requirement in Article 3(1), point (b). Such reference will therefore equally be of relevance to any broader assessment under Article 3(8). It is the responsibility of the undertaking to come to the best approximation possible in line with the common principles and specific methodology set out in this Annex. Nothing in this Annex precludes the Commission, within the time limits laid down in the relevant provisions of this Regulation, from requiring the undertaking providing core platform services to provide any information necessary to identify and calculate the ‘active end users’ and the ‘active business users’. Nothing in this Annex should constitute a legal basis for tracking users. The methodology contained in this Annex is also without prejudice to any of the obligations laid down in this Regulation, notably in Article 3(3) and (8) and Article 13(3). In particular, the required compliance with Article 13(3) also means identifying and calculating ‘active end users’ and ‘active business users’ based either on a precise measurement or on the best approximation available, in line with the actual identification and calculation capacities that the undertaking providing core platform services possesses at the relevant point in time. Those measurements or the best approximation available shall be consistent with, and include, those reported under Article 15.

• 2.

  Article 2, points (20) and (21) set out the definitions of ‘end user’ and ‘business user’, which are common to all core platform services.

• 3.

  In order to identify and calculate the number of ‘active end users’ and ‘active business users’, this Annex refers to the concept of ‘unique users’. The concept of ‘unique users’ encompasses ‘active end users’ and ‘active business users’ counted only once, for the relevant core platform service, over the course of a specified time period (i.e. month in case of ‘active end users’ and year in case of ‘active business users’), no matter how many times they engaged with the relevant core platform service over that period. This is without prejudice to the fact that the same natural or legal person can simultaneously constitute an ‘active end user’ or an ‘active business user’ for different core platform services.