The European Commission has initiated infringement procedures against Estonia, Poland, and Slovakia for failing to designate their Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) by the stipulated deadline of February 17th. These national regulators play a crucial role in the implementation of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), providing a central point of contact for the European Commission in gathering evidence and enforcing the regulation.
In addition, Cyprus, Czechia, and Portugal have received formal letters from the Commission for not empowering their regulators with the necessary powers and competences to carry out their tasks effectively, including the imposition of sanctions for non-compliance.
According to a Commission statement, fully empowered DSCs in each member state are indispensable for exercising the new rights created under the DSA. These rights include the ability for users to lodge complaints against platforms in their place of residence, the awarding of trusted flagger status, and the vetting of researchers.
The countries have a two-month window to respond and address the shortcomings identified by the Commission. If they fail to do so, the Commission may issue reasoned opinions as the next step in the infringement process.
As of August 2022, when the DSA came into force, only a few countries had appointed their national regulators, according to Euronews. Under the DSA, online platforms with more than 45 million monthly average users in the EU are subject to stringent rules, including transparency requirements and the protection of minors online.
The national coordinators convene with the Commission under the EU oversight board to harmonize national approaches and ensure that users across the Union enjoy the same rights and protections under the DSA.
