---
title: "DMA vs EU competition law: gatekeeper obligations, Article 11 evidence, and enforcement"
canonical_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/dma-vs-eu-competition-law"
source_url: "https://www.sorena.io/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/dma-vs-eu-competition-law"
author: "Sorena AI"
description: "Compare the EU Digital Markets Act with EU competition law: ex ante gatekeeper and core platform service duties, Articles 5 to 7, Article 11 reports, penalties, and evidence records."
published_at: "2026-05-09"
updated_at: "2026-05-09"
keywords:
  - "EU Digital Markets Act"
  - "DMA"
  - "EU competition law"
  - "gatekeeper obligations"
  - "core platform service"
  - "Article 11 compliance report"
  - "Articles 5 6 7 DMA"
  - "gatekeeper"
  - "Article 5"
  - "Article 6"
  - "Article 7"
  - "Article 11"
---
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# DMA vs EU competition law: gatekeeper obligations, Article 11 evidence, and enforcement

Compare the EU Digital Markets Act with EU competition law: ex ante gatekeeper and core platform service duties, Articles 5 to 7, Article 11 reports, penalties, and evidence records.

*Comparison Guide* *EU*

## DMA vs EU competition law gatekeeper rules and antitrust enforcement compared

The DMA is an ex ante rulebook for designated gatekeepers and their listed core platform services; EU competition law remains case-by-case enforcement for agreements, dominance, and other market conduct.

Use this page to separate Article 5, 6, and 7 implementation duties from competition-law assessment work, then preserve the Article 11 evidence, market analysis, authority correspondence, and penalty exposure for each track.

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) does not supersede EU competition law. It adds up-front obligations for undertakings designated as gatekeepers for specific core platform services, while Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and related national competition rules continue to apply to case-specific conduct. The practical difference is that a designated gatekeeper must operationalise listed DMA duties even before an infringement case, while competition-law work still turns on the facts, market position, effects, evidence, procedure, and remedy in the individual matter. Timings in this page are source-linked; verify current legal source language before implementation decisions.

## DMA vs EU competition law: operational differences for platform teams

Use this comparison to decide whether the work is a DMA gatekeeper obligation, a competition-law assessment, or a coordinated pair of separate records.

- **Digital Markets Act**: Ex ante obligations for designated gatekeepers and the core platform services listed in their designation decisions.
- **EU competition law**: Case-specific assessment and enforcement for agreements, dominance, merger-related issues, and market conduct under Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and related rules.

| Dimension | Digital Markets Act | EU competition law | Operational implication | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Scope boundary | Creates harmonised ex ante rules for contestable and fair digital markets where gatekeepers are present. | Applies to particular conduct, agreements, dominance questions, and market effects; the DMA recitals describe this enforcement as ex post and case-by-case. | Do not wait for an antitrust infringement theory before implementing DMA duties for a designated gatekeeper service. | [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - The DMA text states that Articles 101 and 102 TFEU still apply and describes competition-law enforcement as fact-intensive and case-by-case.<br>[European Commission DMA legislation page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/legislation_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission overview confirms the DMA contains rules for designation and obligations imposed on gatekeepers. |
| Covered actors | Gatekeeper designation for listed core platform services. Article 3 presumptions use turnover or market-value, Member State presence, active end-user, active business-user, and repeated-threshold criteria, with a notification route when the thresholds are met. | A suspected competition issue: agreement or concerted practice, dominance concern, exclusionary or exploitative conduct, merger-related issue, complaint, or authority investigation. | Open the DMA workstream only after confirming gatekeeper and CPS scope; open the competition-law workstream when the market-conduct facts require antitrust analysis. | [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 1 preserves Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and national competition rules for anticompetitive agreements and abuses of dominant positions.<br>[European Commission DMA gatekeepers page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/gatekeepers_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission page provides the current public designation context for gatekeepers and core platform services. |
| Trigger | Articles 5, 6, and 7 impose concrete duties on gatekeepers, including data-combination limits, anti-steering rules, user choice, app-store and default-setting obligations, ranking neutrality, interoperability, portability, and business-user data access. | Competition law does not provide the same pre-set product checklist; it tests whether the specific conduct restricts competition or abuses dominance in the relevant circumstances. | Turn DMA duties into engineering, product, data, commercial, and reporting controls; keep competition-law analysis as a separate facts-and-effects assessment. | [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Recital material contrasts DMA obligations with fact-intensive Articles 101 and 102 TFEU enforcement.<br>[European Commission resources for businesses under the DMA](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/questions-and-answers/resources-businesses_en?ref=sorena.io) - Shows how certain Article 6 obligations become concrete request channels and technical resources for businesses. |
| Core obligations | Designation decision, CPS inventory, Article 5/6/7 matrix, implementation measures, testing, user-flow evidence, request logs, raw data, annual Article 11 report updates, and non-confidential summary. | Market definition, internal strategy and commercial records, contracts, pricing or ranking evidence, economic analysis, complaint or investigation materials, commitments, remedies, and authority or court correspondence. | Evidence can overlap, but label it by legal purpose so Article 11 reporting material is not treated as a full antitrust case file. | [Article 11 DMA Compliance Report Template Form](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma/practical-information_en?ref=sorena.io#templates) - Supports keeping Article 11 compliance-report evidence tied to specific DMA obligations rather than treating it as general competition-law evidence.<br>[Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - The DMA text preserves Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and national competition rules, which require their own case evidence. |
| Evidence record | Article 11 requires a compliance report and non-confidential summary within six months after designation, then updates at least annually. | No equivalent annual antitrust report is created by the DMA comparison; timing depends on the investigation, merger-control, complaint, commitment, remedy, court, or independent review process. | Calendar Article 11 separately from competition-law matter deadlines and do not let annual DMA reporting become the only antitrust review trigger. | [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - The preserved competition-law route remains separate from the DMA Article 11 reporting obligation.<br>[Article 11 DMA Compliance Report Template Form](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma/practical-information_en?ref=sorena.io#templates) - Commission template reinforces annual updates and comparison against previous report versions. |
| Timing and deadlines | DMA non-compliance can lead to Commission non-compliance decisions, fines up to 10% of total worldwide turnover, up to 20% for repeated same or similar Article 5/6/7 infringements for the same CPS within the specified period, and periodic penalty payments up to 5% of average daily worldwide turnover per day. | Competition-law sanctions and remedies follow the applicable antitrust, merger, authority, court, or settlement route for the specific case and should not be described with DMA caps unless the DMA is actually engaged. | Write separate penalty exposure lines: DMA Article 29-31 exposure for gatekeeper non-compliance, and competition-law exposure for the specific market-conduct matter. | [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - DMA penalty mechanics are tied to DMA non-compliance decisions and should be separated from other competition-law exposure. |
| Enforcement | DMA records can share underlying product facts with competition-law files, especially for ranking, access, data, interoperability, steering, and business-user treatment. | Competition-law files can reuse the same product facts, but must still state the market-conduct theory, factual record, effects, defences, procedural posture, and remedy path. | Use one facts repository if helpful, but keep two conclusions: DMA compliance status by obligation and CPS, and competition-law assessment by conduct and market issue. | [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 1 preserves competition-law application alongside the DMA, supporting separate conclusions where facts overlap.<br>[Article 11 DMA Compliance Report Template Form](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma/practical-information_en?ref=sorena.io#templates) - The template supports tracking DMA evidence by core platform service and obligation, which helps prevent mixed legal conclusions. |
| Overlap and reuse | Shared facts can sit in one evidence repository, but the file should still separate DMA obligations from competition-law theories. | The same product change may be relevant to both regimes, yet each regime needs its own legal test, authority, and record of assessment. | Re-use facts once, then write two legal conclusions so the comparison stays informative instead of repetitive. | [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - The DMA text states that Articles 101 and 102 TFEU still apply and describes competition-law enforcement as fact-intensive and case-by-case.<br>[European Commission DMA legislation page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/legislation_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission overview confirms the DMA contains rules for designation and obligations imposed on gatekeepers. |
| Practical decision rule | Start with the designation decision and core platform service list to see whether the DMA applies. | Then test the conduct, agreements, dominance, or effects issue to see whether competition law also applies. | If both tests are satisfied, keep the DMA control plan and the antitrust assessment in separate workstreams and separate records. | [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 1 keeps Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and national competition rules in play alongside the DMA.<br>[European Commission DMA legislation page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/legislation_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission overview confirms the DMA contains rules for designation and obligations imposed on gatekeepers. |

Sources for Scope boundary - Digital Markets Act:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 1 and the recitals support the DMA purpose and ex ante gatekeeper model.
  - Quote: "contestable and fair markets"

Sources for Scope boundary - EU competition law:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - The DMA text states that Articles 101 and 102 TFEU still apply and describes competition-law enforcement as fact-intensive and case-by-case.
  - Quote: "case by case basis"

Sources for Scope boundary - operational implication:

- [European Commission DMA legislation page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/legislation_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission overview confirms the DMA contains rules for designation and obligations imposed on gatekeepers.
  - Quote: "obligations and prohibitions"

Sources for Covered actors - Digital Markets Act:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 3 supports designation criteria, notification, and gatekeeper presumption thresholds.
  - Quote: "Designation of gatekeepers"

Sources for Covered actors - EU competition law:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 1 preserves Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and national competition rules for anticompetitive agreements and abuses of dominant positions.
  - Quote: "abuses of dominant positions"

Sources for Covered actors - operational implication:

- [European Commission DMA gatekeepers page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/gatekeepers_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission page provides the current public designation context for gatekeepers and core platform services.
  - Quote: "core platform services"

Sources for Trigger - Digital Markets Act:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Articles 5, 6, and 7 provide the listed DMA duties used for the obligation comparison.
  - Quote: "Obligations for gatekeepers"

Sources for Trigger - EU competition law:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Recital material contrasts DMA obligations with fact-intensive Articles 101 and 102 TFEU enforcement.
  - Quote: "complex facts"

Sources for Trigger - operational implication:

- [European Commission resources for businesses under the DMA](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/questions-and-answers/resources-businesses_en?ref=sorena.io) - Shows how certain Article 6 obligations become concrete request channels and technical resources for businesses.
  - Quote: "Data access"

Sources for Core obligations - Digital Markets Act:

- [Article 11 DMA Compliance Report Template Form](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma/practical-information_en?ref=sorena.io#templates) - Supports the Article 11 evidence expectations for detailed measures, supporting data, internal documents, machine-readable reports, and annual updates.
  - Quote: "supporting data"

Sources for Core obligations - EU competition law:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - The DMA text preserves Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and national competition rules, which require their own case evidence.
  - Quote: "without prejudice"

Sources for Core obligations - operational implication:

- [Article 11 DMA Compliance Report Template Form](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma/practical-information_en?ref=sorena.io#templates) - Supports keeping Article 11 compliance-report evidence tied to specific DMA obligations rather than treating it as general competition-law evidence.
  - Quote: "for each applicable obligation"

Sources for Evidence record - Digital Markets Act:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 11 supplies the six-month reporting obligation and annual update requirement.
  - Quote: "within 6 months"

Sources for Evidence record - EU competition law:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - The preserved competition-law route remains separate from the DMA Article 11 reporting obligation.
  - Quote: "Articles 101 and 102"

Sources for Evidence record - operational implication:

- [Article 11 DMA Compliance Report Template Form](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma/practical-information_en?ref=sorena.io#templates) - Commission template reinforces annual updates and comparison against previous report versions.
  - Quote: "previous version"

Sources for Timing and deadlines - Digital Markets Act:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Articles 29, 30, and 31 support the DMA enforcement route, fine caps, repeat-infringement rule, and periodic penalty payment cap.
  - Quote: "periodic penalty payments"

Sources for Timing and deadlines - EU competition law:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 1 keeps Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and national competition rules separate from DMA-specific penalty provisions.
  - Quote: "national competition rules"

Sources for Timing and deadlines - operational implication:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - DMA penalty mechanics are tied to DMA non-compliance decisions and should be separated from other competition-law exposure.
  - Quote: "Non-compliance"

Sources for Enforcement - Digital Markets Act:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 38 supports cooperation and coordination between the Commission and national competition authorities while preserving separate enforcement roles.
  - Quote: "cooperate with each other"

Sources for Enforcement - EU competition law:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 1 preserves competition-law application alongside the DMA, supporting separate conclusions where facts overlap.
  - Quote: "without prejudice"

Sources for Enforcement - operational implication:

- [Article 11 DMA Compliance Report Template Form](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma/practical-information_en?ref=sorena.io#templates) - The template supports tracking DMA evidence by core platform service and obligation, which helps prevent mixed legal conclusions.
  - Quote: "core platform service"

Sources for Overlap and reuse - Digital Markets Act:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 1 and the recitals support the DMA purpose and ex ante gatekeeper model.
  - Quote: "contestable and fair markets"

Sources for Overlap and reuse - EU competition law:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - The DMA text states that Articles 101 and 102 TFEU still apply and describes competition-law enforcement as fact-intensive and case-by-case.
  - Quote: "case by case basis"

Sources for Overlap and reuse - operational implication:

- [European Commission DMA legislation page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/legislation_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission overview confirms the DMA contains rules for designation and obligations imposed on gatekeepers.
  - Quote: "obligations and prohibitions"

Sources for Practical decision rule - Digital Markets Act:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 3 requires a designation decision listing the relevant core platform services.
  - Quote: "designation decision"

Sources for Practical decision rule - EU competition law:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 1 keeps Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and national competition rules in play alongside the DMA.
  - Quote: "Articles 101 and 102 TFEU"

Sources for Practical decision rule - operational implication:

- [European Commission DMA legislation page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/legislation_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission overview confirms the DMA contains rules for designation and obligations imposed on gatekeepers.
  - Quote: "designation of gatekeepers"

### How should teams decide which track to open?

- Open a DMA track when the actor is a designated gatekeeper, the service is a listed core platform service, and the change touches an Article 5, 6, or 7 duty or Article 11 evidence.
- Open a competition-law track when the fact pattern concerns suspected restrictive agreement, abuse of dominance, merger-related concern, exclusionary access, discriminatory ranking, pricing, tying, refusal, complaint, or authority inquiry.
- Open both tracks when a designated CPS change also raises market-conduct concerns; assign separate owners, sources, evidence folders, conclusions, and penalty exposure lines.
- Close the review only after the DMA owner confirms Article 5/6/7 and Article 11 treatment, and competition counsel confirms the case-specific antitrust position or next procedural step.

Sources for the practical decision rule:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Supports separate DMA scoping, Article 5 to 7 obligations, Article 11 reporting, and preserved competition-law application.
  - Quote: "Articles 5, 6 and 7"
- [Article 11 DMA Compliance Report Template Form](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma/practical-information_en?ref=sorena.io#templates) - Supports the decision rule for confirming Article 11 evidence by obligation and core platform service.
  - Quote: "Compliance Report"

## What is the core legal difference?

The DMA starts with status and service scope. An undertaking is designated as a gatekeeper when it has significant internal-market impact, provides a core platform service that is an important gateway for business users to reach end users, and has an entrenched and durable position or is expected to have one. Article 3 also contains quantitative presumptions: EUR 7.5 billion annual Union turnover in each of the last three financial years or EUR 75 billion average market capitalisation or fair market value in the last financial year, the same core platform service in at least three Member States, at least 45 million monthly active end users in the Union, at least 10,000 yearly active business users in the Union, and repeated end-user and business-user thresholds over the last three financial years.

Competition-law analysis starts with the suspected conduct. The DMA itself says Articles 101 and 102 TFEU still apply, and its recitals describe traditional competition-law enforcement as ex post, fact-intensive, and case-by-case. That is why the same platform change can need both a DMA obligation check and a separate antitrust assessment.

- Use the DMA track when the actor is a designated gatekeeper and the service is listed in the designation decision as a core platform service.
- Use the competition-law track when the issue is an agreement, concerted practice, dominance concern, merger-related issue, or other market-conduct question that must be assessed on its facts.
- Keep the two tracks separate when writing advice, assigning owners, collecting evidence, and describing penalties.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Supports the DMA designation criteria, the Article 1 relationship with Articles 101 and 102 TFEU, and the recital contrast between ex ante DMA obligations and ex post competition-law enforcement.
- [European Commission DMA legislation page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/legislation_en?ref=sorena.io) - Confirms that the DMA contains the main rules for gatekeeper designation and obligations, with a procedural implementing regulation for DMA proceedings.

## How do Article 5, 6, and 7 duties change the compliance work?

DMA compliance is obligation-by-obligation. Article 5 includes directly applicable prohibitions and duties such as limits on cross-service personal-data combination without valid consent, anti-steering restrictions, business-user communication rights, access to purchased content, complaint rights, and advertising transparency information. Article 6 adds obligations that may be further specified, including uninstall and default-setting choice, third-party app and app-store access, ranking neutrality, interoperability with operating-system or virtual-assistant features, advertising measurement access, end-user portability, and business-user data access.

Article 7 is narrower and more technical: it applies to designated number-independent interpersonal communications services and requires interoperability of basic functionalities through technical interfaces or similar solutions upon request, free of charge. Those DMA obligations should become product controls, engineering requirements, request-handling records, and testing evidence. Competition-law work may use some of the same product facts, but it does not become an Article 5/6/7 control matrix unless the DMA scope conditions are met.

- For each listed core platform service, map the applicable Article 5, 6, and 7 paragraphs to product areas, data flows, user journeys, request channels, and control owners.
- For Article 6(7), 6(9), and 6(10), preserve request logs and API or tool evidence for interoperability, portability, and data-access routes made available to businesses or users.
- For competition-law matters, preserve market definition, agreement files, dominance analysis, effects evidence, efficiencies, remedy discussions, and authority correspondence separately from the DMA control matrix.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Provides the binding Article 5, Article 6, and Article 7 obligations used to distinguish DMA implementation work from competition-law case analysis.
- [European Commission resources for businesses under the DMA](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/questions-and-answers/resources-businesses_en?ref=sorena.io) - Lists business-facing resources for Article 6(7) interoperability, Article 6(9) portability, and Article 6(10) data-access requests.

## What evidence belongs in the Article 11 report?

Article 11 requires every gatekeeper to provide the Commission, within six months after designation, a detailed and transparent compliance report describing measures implemented for Articles 5, 6, and 7, plus a non-confidential summary. The gatekeeper must update the report and summary at least annually. The Commission template also expects explanations by core platform service and obligation, supporting data and internal documents, information on measures before or after designation, and machine-readable report materials.

That evidence is different from a competition-law case file. A DMA Article 11 evidence pack should prove implemented measures and effective compliance for the listed CPS obligations. A competition-law file should prove the facts needed for the particular agreement, dominance, merger, complaint, investigation, commitment, or remedy question.

- DMA evidence: designation decision, CPS scope map, Article 5/6/7 obligation matrix, implementation dates, user-flow changes, technical controls, request logs, testing, monitoring metrics, raw-data readiness, report redlines, and non-confidential summary approvals.
- Competition-law evidence: market facts, internal commercial records, agreement or pricing materials, ranking and access decisions, economic analysis, complaint materials, remedies or commitments, and communications with competition authorities or courts.
- Do not use an Article 11 report as the only record for an antitrust risk assessment; it is designed to show DMA compliance measures, not to replace case-specific competition-law analysis.

Sources for this answer:

- [Article 11 DMA Compliance Report Template Form](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma/practical-information_en?ref=sorena.io#templates) - Commission template support for Article 11 report timing, annual updates, machine-readable materials, obligation-by-obligation explanations, supporting data, and internal-document evidence.
- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Article 11 is the binding reporting obligation for gatekeepers after designation and for annual report updates.

## How do enforcement and penalties differ?

For the DMA, the Commission is the central enforcement authority. A non-compliance decision can address failure to comply with Articles 5, 6, or 7, Commission-specified measures, remedies, interim measures, or binding commitments. The DMA fine cap is up to 10% of total worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year for specified non-compliance, and up to 20% for the same or similar Article 5, 6, or 7 infringement in relation to the same core platform service after a non-compliance decision in the preceding eight years. Periodic penalty payments can reach up to 5% of average daily worldwide turnover per day for listed failures.

Competition-law enforcement can involve Commission, national authority, court, merger-control, complaint, commitment, remedy, or litigation procedures depending on the matter. Do not import DMA penalty caps into a competition-law memo unless the issue is actually DMA non-compliance; record the separate enforcement route and sanction basis for each track.

- Escalate DMA issues when a gatekeeper service may breach Article 5, 6, or 7, when Article 11 evidence is incomplete, or when Commission requests, proceedings, or non-compliance findings arise.
- Escalate competition-law issues when there is suspected anticompetitive agreement, dominance abuse, exclusionary or exploitative conduct, merger issue, complaint, or authority correspondence.
- When both tracks apply, list the DMA penalty exposure separately from competition-law enforcement exposure and avoid describing one as a substitute for the other.

Sources for this answer:

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Articles 29, 30, and 31 support the DMA non-compliance decision route, fine caps, repeat-infringement cap, and periodic penalty payment cap.
- [European Commission DMA gatekeepers page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/gatekeepers_en?ref=sorena.io) - Identifies current designated gatekeepers and their designated core platform services, which is the starting point for DMA enforcement scoping.

*Recommended next step*

*Placement: before sources*

## Build a cited DMA and antitrust evidence split

Use the cited sources listed here to verify obligations and the supporting evidence requirements.

- [Open Research Copilot for DMA questions](/solutions/research-copilot.md): Verify the following areas from the cited sources:  gatekeeper status, core platform services, Articles 5 to 7, Article 11 reports, and DMA enforcement evidence.
- [Talk through implementation](/contact.md): Review where your platform work needs DMA controls, competition-law analysis, or both, and identify the evidence gaps before an authority request.

## Primary sources

- [Regulation (EU) 2022/1925, Digital Markets Act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L%5F.2022.265.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A265%3ATOC&ref=sorena.io) - Supports separate DMA scoping, Article 5 to 7 obligations, Article 11 reporting, and preserved competition-law application.
  - Quote: "Articles 5, 6 and 7"
- [European Commission DMA legislation page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/legislation_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission overview confirms the DMA contains rules for designation and obligations imposed on gatekeepers.
  - Quote: "designation of gatekeepers"
- [European Commission DMA gatekeepers page](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/gatekeepers_en?ref=sorena.io) - Commission page provides the current public designation context for gatekeepers and core platform services.
  - Quote: "core platform services"
- [Article 11 DMA Compliance Report Template Form](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/about-dma/practical-information_en?ref=sorena.io#templates) - Supports the decision rule for confirming Article 11 evidence by obligation and core platform service.
  - Quote: "Compliance Report"
- [European Commission resources for businesses under the DMA](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/questions-and-answers/resources-businesses_en?ref=sorena.io) - Shows how certain Article 6 obligations become concrete request channels and technical resources for businesses.
  - Quote: "Data access"

## Related Topic Guides

- [DMA Anti-Circumvention Design Review for Gatekeeper Product Changes](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/anti-circumvention-design-review.md): Review DMA Article 13 anti-circumvention risks in gatekeeper product, interface, contractual, commercial, and technical changes with obligation mapping and evidence records.
- [DMA Article 11 Compliance Report Template FAQ](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/faq/compliance-report-template.md): How gatekeepers should use the DMA Article 11 compliance report template to document obligation-by-obligation measures, evidence, updates, and non-confidential summaries.
- [DMA Article 6 Business User Data Access Guide](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/business-user-data-access.md): Grounded guide to EU Digital Markets Act Article 6 data access for business users, end users, authorised third parties, consent boundaries, and evidence handoffs.
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- [DMA Articles 5, 6 and 7 obligations mapped to CPS evidence](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/core-obligations-by-obligation.md): Map EU Digital Markets Act Articles 5, 6 and 7 obligations to affected core platform services, product evidence, legal owners, and Article 11 compliance-report artifacts.
- [DMA compliance program and monitoring for gatekeepers](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/compliance-program-and-monitoring.md): Build a DMA compliance program around Article 8 effective compliance, Article 11 reporting evidence, Article 13 anti-circumvention controls, and Article 28 compliance-function governance.
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- [DMA core platform services FAQ](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/faq/core-platform-services.md): FAQ on EU Digital Markets Act core platform services: Article 2 service categories, gatekeeper designation evidence, user thresholds, service scoping, and Article 11 reporting.
- [DMA CPS Obligation Matrix Workflow: Articles 5, 6, 7 and Article 11 Evidence](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/cps-obligation-matrix-workflow.md): Build a DMA core platform service obligation matrix that links each designated CPS to Articles 5, 6 and 7 duties, product owners, designation evidence, Article 11 report artifacts and review gates.
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- [DMA enforcement, penalties, and remedies: Commission powers and evidence](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/enforcement-penalties-and-remedies.md): EU Digital Markets Act enforcement guide covering Commission non-compliance decisions, DMA fine caps, periodic penalty payments, remedies, interim measures, commitments, and Article 11 evidence.
- [DMA Gatekeeper Compliance Checklist for Articles 5, 6, 7 and 11](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/gatekeeper-compliance-checklist.md): A grounded EU Digital Markets Act checklist for designated gatekeepers: core platform service scope, Article 5/6/7 controls, Article 11 report evidence, anti-circumvention checks, and review gates.
- [DMA Gatekeeper Designation Guide: Article 3 thresholds, Form GD, and Article 11 readiness](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/gatekeeper-designation-guide.md): A grounded EU Digital Markets Act guide for assessing Article 3 gatekeeper thresholds, scoping core platform services, preparing Form GD evidence, handling rebuttal annexes, and planning Article 11 compliance reporting.
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- [DMA penalties and fines: caps, triggers, and enforcement evidence](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/penalties-and-fines.md): EU Digital Markets Act penalties guide covering Article 30 fine caps, Article 31 periodic penalty payments, non-compliance decisions, remedies, and evidence records.
- [DMA Product Change Review Workflow for Articles 5, 6, 7, 11 and 13](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/product-change-review-workflow.md): Review DMA-relevant product releases for Article 5, Article 6, Article 7, anti-circumvention, Article 11 evidence, and product-owner/legal signoff.
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- [DMA vs DSA: Digital Markets vs Services Act](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/dma-vs-dsa.md): A grounded comparison of the DMA and DSA focused on gatekeepers, core platform services, DMA obligations, Article 11 reporting, interoperability, data access, and enforcement.
- [DMA vs GDPR: gatekeeper data obligations compared](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/dma-vs-gdpr.md): Compare DMA gatekeeper obligations with high-level GDPR overlap for consent, combining personal data, data access, portability, and Article 11 reporting.
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- [EU Digital Markets Act compliance: gatekeeper obligations and evidence](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/compliance.md): DMA compliance guide for designated gatekeepers: core platform service scoping, Articles 5, 6 and 7 controls, Article 11 reports, anti-circumvention checks, interoperability evidence, and enforcement risk.
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- [EU Digital Markets Act FAQ: gatekeepers, DMA obligations, reports, and enforcement](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/faq.md): Concise FAQ on the EU Digital Markets Act for gatekeeper designation, core platform services, Articles 5, 6 and 7 obligations, Article 11 reports, interoperability, business-user data access, compliance evidence, and enforcement.
- [EU Digital Markets Act requirements for gatekeepers](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/requirements.md): DMA requirements for designated gatekeepers: core platform service scope, Articles 5, 6 and 7 obligations, Article 11 reporting, anti-circumvention, evidence, remedies, and fines.
- [EU Digital Markets Act Timeline and Key Milestones: practical obligations and evidence guide](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/timeline-and-key-milestones.md): Practical EU Digital Markets Act guide to Timeline and Key Milestones: scope, owners, evidence, edge cases, checklist steps, and external source-linked citations.
- [EU DMA Applicability Test: gatekeeper thresholds, core platform services, and evidence](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/applicability-test.md): Test whether the EU Digital Markets Act may apply to a platform service using the DMA gatekeeper criteria, core platform service categories, EU user thresholds, notification steps, and evidence records.
- [EU DMA Article 11 Compliance Reporting Guide](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/article-11-reporting.md): Source-grounded guide to EU Digital Markets Act Article 11 compliance reports: report purpose, template evidence, non-confidential summaries, annual updates, and submission steps.
- [EU DMA do's and don'ts for product teams](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/dos-and-donts-for-product-teams.md): Product release checks for designated DMA gatekeepers: Article 5, 6 and 7 obligations, anti-circumvention review, data access, interoperability, self-preferencing and Article 11 evidence.
- [What do DMA Articles 5, 6, and 7 require from gatekeepers?](/artifacts/eu/digital-markets-act/faq/articles-5-6-and-7-obligations.md): FAQ explaining how EU Digital Markets Act Articles 5, 6, and 7 group gatekeeper obligations, what product evidence they require, and how Article 11 reporting connects.


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