The impact of global platforms on media competition and on the results of European communication companies

The market value and capitalization of traditional media companies have dropped dramatically in the last five years. This is due to the evolution of digital platforms and the emergence of global communications mega-corporations that have since absorbed the distribution of new information and entertainment content. It is also a consequence of the aggregation of value-added services generated through incessant innovation. Communications mega-corporations, the GAFANs (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Netflix), and audiovisual and telecommunications platforms reached market capitalizations ranging from 56% to 170% in the last five years (2012-17) respectively, whilst those of traditional media did not exceed 75 percent. Asymmetries on competition regulations against traditional media and the political alarm ignited by the so-called fake news or scandals due to the mishandling of users data awakened the European states and the EU about the urgency of filling the legal gap existing around the development of such platforms, particularly in order to demand rules and responsibilities comparable to those that apply to editorial groups.La cotización y capitalización de las empresas de medios tradicionales se ha hundido en los últimos cinco años ante la evolución de las plataformas digitales y la conformación de mega grupos globales de comunicación que absorben la distribución de los nuevos contenidos informativos y de entretenimiento, así como la agregación de los servicios de valor añadido generados a través de su incesante innovación. Los mega grupos de comunicación, los GAFAN (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple y Netflix), y las plataformas de audiovisual y telecomunicaciones lograron en los últimos cinco años (2012-17) capitalizaciones de entre el 560 y el 170% respectivamente, frente a las de los medios tradicionales, que no pasaron del 75 por ciento. La asimetría de la regulación de la competencia frente a los medios tradicionales y la alarma política provocada por las fake news o los escándalos del uso impropio de datos de los usuarios despertó a los estados europeos y a la propia UE sobre la urgencia de llenar el vacío legal sobre el desarrollo de las plataformas para exigirles reglas de juego y responsabilidades como a los grupos editoriales

The impact of global platforms on media competition and on the results of European communication companies

The market value and capitalization of traditional media companies have dropped dramatically in the last five years. This is due to the evolution of digital platforms and the emergence of global communications mega-corporations that have since absorbed the distribution of new information and entertainment content. It is also a consequence of the aggregation of value-added services generated through incessant innovation. Communications mega-corporations, the GAFANs (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Netflix), and audiovisual and telecommunications platforms reached market capitalizations ranging from 56% to 170% in the last five years (2012-17) respectively, whilst those of traditional media did not exceed 75 percent. Asymmetries on competition regulations against traditional media and the political alarm ignited by the so-called fake news or scandals due to the mishandling of users data awakened the European states and the EU about the urgency of filling the legal gap existing around the development of such platforms, particularly in order to demand rules and responsibilities comparable to those that apply to editorial groups.La cotización y capitalización de las empresas de medios tradicionales se ha hundido en los últimos cinco años ante la evolución de las plataformas digitales y la conformación de mega grupos globales de comunicación que absorben la distribución de los nuevos contenidos informativos y de entretenimiento, así como la agregación de los servicios de valor añadido generados a través de su incesante innovación. Los mega grupos de comunicación, los GAFAN (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple y Netflix), y las plataformas de audiovisual y telecomunicaciones lograron en los últimos cinco años (2012-17) capitalizaciones de entre el 560 y el 170% respectivamente, frente a las de los medios tradicionales, que no pasaron del 75 por ciento. La asimetría de la regulación de la competencia frente a los medios tradicionales y la alarma política provocada por las fake news o los escándalos del uso impropio de datos de los usuarios despertó a los estados europeos y a la propia UE sobre la urgencia de llenar el vacío legal sobre el desarrollo de las plataformas para exigirles reglas de juego y responsabilidades como a los grupos editoriales

Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable

Brazil, home to one of the planet's last great forests, is currently in trade negotiations with its second largest trading partner, the European Union (EU). We urge the EU to seize this critical opportunity to ensure that Brazil protects human rights and the environment

Effects of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery: an international prospective cohort study an international prospective cohort study

We aimed to determine the impact of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery during the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We performed an international prospective cohort study including patients undergoing elective surgery in October 2020. Isolation was defined as the period before surgery during which patients did not leave their house or receive visitors from outside their household. The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary complications, adjusted in multivariable models for measured confounders. Pre-defined sub-group analyses were performed for the primary outcome. A total of 96,454 patients from 114 countries were included and overall, 26,948 (27.9%) patients isolated before surgery. Postoperative pulmonary complications were recorded in 1947 (2.0%) patients of which 227 (11.7%) were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients who isolated pre-operatively were older, had more respiratory comorbidities and were more commonly from areas of high SARS-CoV-2 incidence and high-income countries. Although the overall rates of postoperative pulmonary complications were similar in those that isolated and those that did not (2.1% vs 2.0%, respectively), isolation was associated with higher rates of postoperative pulmonary complications after adjustment (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05–1.36, p = 0.005). Sensitivity analyses revealed no further differences when patients were categorised by: pre-operative testing; use of COVID-19-free pathways; or community SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications increased with periods of isolation longer than 3 days, with an OR (95%CI) at 4–7 days or ≥ 8 days of 1.25 (1.04–1.48), p = 0.015 and 1.31 (1.11–1.55), p = 0.001, respectively. Isolation before elective surgery might be associated with a small but clinically important increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Longer periods of isolation showed no reduction in the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. These findings have significant implications for global provision of elective surgical care. We aimed to determine the impact of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery during the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We performed an international prospective cohort study including patients undergoing elective surgery in October 2020. Isolation was defined as the period before surgery during which patients did not leave their house or receive visitors from outside their household. The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary complications, adjusted in multivariable models for measured confounders. Pre-defined sub-group analyses were performed for the primary outcome. A total of 96,454 patients from 114 countries were included and overall, 26,948 (27.9%) patients isolated before surgery. Postoperative pulmonary complications were recorded in 1947 (2.0%) patients of which 227 (11.7%) were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients who isolated pre-operatively were older, had more respiratory comorbidities and were more commonly from areas of high SARS-CoV-2 incidence and high-income countries. Although the overall rates of postoperative pulmonary complications were similar in those that isolated and those that did not (2.1% vs 2.0%, respectively), isolation was associated with higher rates of postoperative pulmonary complications after adjustment (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05–1.36, p = 0.005). Sensitivity analyses revealed no further differences when patients were categorised by: pre-operative testing; use of COVID-19-free pathways; or community SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications increased with periods of isolation longer than 3 days, with an OR (95%CI) at 4–7 days or ≥ 8 days of 1.25 (1.04–1.48), p = 0.015 and 1.31 (1.11–1.55), p = 0.001, respectively. Isolation before elective surgery might be associated with a small but clinically important increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Longer periods of isolation showed no reduction in the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. These findings have significant implications for global provision of elective surgical care