Given the objective of addressing the societal concerns and risks that have arisen, due to information society services, for the safety of recipients of those services in the Union and as regard the exercise of their fundamental rights, in line with the Union's values as set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the rules laid down in this Regulation should provide a consistent, harmonised and effective level of consumer and user protection for recipients of intermediary services across the internal market. Such a harmonised level of protection is also essential for the development of digital services across the single market in order to avoid fragmentation and inconsistent implementation. This is necessary for legal certainty and for safeguarding the interests and fundamental rights of service providers and recipients, in particular freedom of expression and of information and freedom to conduct business as well as the principle of non-discrimination.