The Radio and Television Commission of Lithuania (LRTK) has appealed to the European Commission, asking it to assess YouTube’s advertising pricing practices across different European Union Member States.

According to the LRTK, content creators on the platform may be subject to different advertising rates depending on the country in which they operate. This directly affects their ability to generate revenue and compete within the EU’s single market. As a result, creators producing similar or identical content may earn significantly different amounts despite operating within the same digital environment.

“If the same platform allows creators in one EU country to earn more than those in another, legitimate questions arise about equal conditions across the Union. This is particularly important given that the principle of the common market is one of the EU’s core values,” said LRTK Chairperson Mantas Martišius.

As more content and audiences move to online platforms, ensuring fair treatment of market participants and preventing discrimination based on Member State becomes increasingly important.

Broader EU Context

These issues are becoming more relevant across the European Union as digital platforms continue to strengthen their influence over advertising markets and content monetization.

The European Commission has already examined Google’s activities in the advertising technology (adtech) sector, while European publishers’ organizations have repeatedly raised concerns about advertising revenue distribution and platform dominance.

In addition, the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which is already in force, requires major platforms designated as “gatekeepers” to apply fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory conditions to business users. The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) also seeks to promote a fair competitive environment in the media market.

According to the LRTK, the issue it raises adds a new dimension to these discussions by highlighting a less explored aspect — the position of YouTube content creators and the possibility of differing advertising conditions across EU Member States.

Although differences in advertising rates are often explained by varying market values and differences in audience purchasing power, a fundamental question remains: whether such practices are compatible with the principles of the EU internal market when creators operate in the same digital space and compete with one another.

What Are CPM and RPM?

Advertising revenue on digital platforms is commonly measured using indicators such as CPM (cost per thousand advertising impressions paid by advertisers) and RPM (the creator’s actual revenue per thousand views after platform deductions).

The values of these indicators can vary significantly between Member States, meaning that creators in different countries may receive unequal compensation for the same content.

What the European Commission Is Being Asked to Assess

The European Commission is being asked to evaluate whether such practices are compatible with the principles of the EU common market and whether they comply with the DMA and EMFA provisions concerning fair and transparent business conditions.

The LRTK also notes that national authorities often face difficulties obtaining sufficiently detailed information from platforms, limiting their ability to comprehensively assess the situation.

The Commission expects that this issue will be examined at the EU level and contribute to more transparent and consistent conditions for content creators across the European Union.