Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said he supports the idea of a digital single market in Europe which would mean a uniform set of rules across all EU countries, Re/code reported.

This is because it “would make it easier for companies to offer services, easier for them to comply with the laws because they actually know what the laws are in all these different places,” he commented.

Andrus Ansip, European Commission vice-president for the digital single market, announced his proposals last week, which include ensuring a level playing field for all market players including big companies like Facebook and Google as well as small start-ups who are working to establish themselves.

It may also mean OTT services like WhatsApp, bought by Facebook for around $19 billion last year, which now offers free voice calls, would face the same regulation as operators (it was reported in April that the EC is keen to ensure US internet giants are subject to the same regulatory rules as network-based incumbents).

Operators have complained about how services WhatsApp and Skype use their networks without having to make any contribution to underlying infrastructure, so reducing the incentive for investment, but the new proposals are said to encourage it.

However, rather than think of it as a hindrance for Facebook, Zuckerberg believes uniform rules will mean his company will not have to deal with different laws in every country in the region, which can take up a lot of the business’ resources.

“Sometimes you’re trying to conform to 20 different versions of different kinds of laws,” he said.