The voice of the online services millions of Europeans use every day

Mission & Vision

Mission

DOT Europe bridges online services and EU digital policy. We translate technical realities into evidence-based policy solutions that support a competitive digital economy for Europe.

Vision

A Europe with an innovative, open, and safe Internet, where digital policy is built through informed, balanced dialogue and serves citizens, businesses, and society.

Commitment To Transparency

We believe good policy starts with open dialogue. Our positions are publicly available and our process is transparent.

Our way of working

We stay ahead of the policy agenda

We monitor legislative developments and work with our members to identify what matters most – ensuring our work is grounded in real operational experience.

We build positions through consensus

Every position we take goes through a rigorous, multi-round consultation process – so that by the time we engage with policymakers, our views reflect a genuine consensus

We engage constructively

We bring concrete, evidence-based input to the 
legislative process – through meetings with EU institutions, consultation responses, and published positions.

Meet the team

Ana Perdigao

Ana Perdigao

President of DOT Europe

Ana is a policy and communications expert with extensive experience across EU institutions, private practice, and the technology sector. She is Senior Director Government and Corporate Affairs at Expedia Group since 2016.

Prior to joining Expedia Group, Ana served at the European Commission in DG CNECT, and she worked in public affairs consultancies, The Walt Disney Company and the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. She also practiced law in Paris at leading law firms, specialising in competition law.

She holds a legal education spanning Italy, France, and Luxembourg, and further specialised in EU law at the College of Europe. She also holds an Executive Master in Business Management at the Universita Bocconi.

Ben Brake

Ben Brake

Director General

Europe has consistently been at the centre of Ben’s professional path. He studied European and Global Studies at the University of Bamberg and completed an ERASMUS program in Vilnius, Lithuania.



He has worked on the GDPR for the German Ministry of Justice, before representing IBM’s EU policy priorities in Berlin.

Later, he served as Director General for the German Ministry of Digital and Transport, covering a wide range of EU digital policy issues. Throughout his career, he has gathered extensive experience in EU affairs and digital policy.

Gwenaëlle Mercier

Gwenaëlle Mercier

Policy Manager

Gwenaëlle manages the DOT Europe team work on content-related issues, such as the Digital Services Act, Child Sexual Abuse and Audiovisual Media Service.

A College of Europe and Sciences Po Strasbourg alumna, she gained experience in European public affairs at the French Permanent Representation to the EU.

Andrea Montarolo

Andrea Montarolo

Policy Manager

Andrea is responsible for AI, data protection and simplification 
at DOT Europe. 



A firm believer in the European project, Andrea spends his free time organizing events to raise awareness about the EU, often between bouldering sessions and basketball practices.

Melissa Colussi

Melissa Colussi

Policy Manager

Melissa holds a Joint Master’s degree in European Affairs and International Relations from the Universities of Strasbourg (France) and Udine (Italy) and is completing an Advanced Master’s in IP and ICT Law at KU Leuven University.

Melissa has worked with content regulation, data, AI, and copyright policies for a range of corporate clients and industry associations. A native Italian speaker, she is fluent in English and French and has conversational proficiency in Dutch and Spanish.

In her free time, she enjoys CrossFit, reading and taking care of her plants.

Fernanda Schröter

Fernanda Schröter

Communications and Events Junior Manager

Fernanda is a communications professional with experience spanning Europe, Brazil, and the United States. She holds an Erasmus Mundus Master’s in European Social Development from Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest) and Charles University (Prague), where she focused her thesis on the impact of digital platforms on European culture. 



After hours, you’ll likely find her at an independent cinema or on the hunt for the best Thai food in Brussels.

Timeline

  • Founding of European Digital Media Association (EDiMA)

    Established to represent companies providing digital media services, giving a unified voice to emerging digital platforms during the rapid expansion of internet-based content in Europe. 

    2000

  • Rebranding to DOT Europe

    Transitioned to a new identity, with “DOT” representing the Digital, Online, and Tech sectors, reflecting a broader scope and modernized mission.

    2020

  • A new visual identity

    Launch of an updated brand identity to reflect the organisation’s continued evolution and role in Europe’s digital policy landscape.

    2026