iMessage will reportedly dodge EU regulations, won’t have to open up
iMessage isn't popular enough with businesses to force interoperability.
Expect the previously announced RCS integration to be "delayed" or "forgotten about."
It's probably a part of quiet negotiation with EU regulators. Apple has a solid point, very little people use texts here, we're all on WhatsApp, Messenger etc. but it's hard to measure so maybe this is what it took to convince them.