Digital Services Coordinators help the Commission to monitor and enforce obligations in the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The Commission and the national Digital Service Coordinators (DSCs) are responsible for supervising, enforcing and monitoring the DSA.
Each Member State has to designate and empower a Digital Services Coordinator (DSC), who is responsible for all matters relating to the application and enforcement of the DSA in that country.
On 24 April, the European Commission decided to open infringement procedures by sending letters of formal notice to six Member States where significant delays in the designation and or empowerment of their Digital Services Coordinators had to be expected. At that time, Estonia, Poland, and Slovakia still had to designate their Digital Services Coordinators. In addition, despite designating their Digital Services Coordinators, Cyprus, Czechia and Portugal still have to empower them with the necessary powers and competences to carry out their tasks, including the imposition of sanctions in cases of non-compliance. . In the meantime, Estonia and Slovakia have formally designated and empowered their Digital Services Coordinators.
On 25 July, the European Commission decided to open infringement procedures by sending letters of formal notice to six additional Member States, namely Belgium, Spain, Croatia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden for similar delays. Belgium still has to designate its Digital Services Coordinator. In addition, despite designating their Digital Services Coordinators, Spain, Croatia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden still have to empower them with the necessary powers and competences to carry out their tasks, including the imposition of sanctions in cases of non-compliance.
When deciding on the next steps, the Commission will take into account the relevant national developments and the communication by Member States of the designation and empowerment of their Digital Services Coordinators.
Find your Digital Services Coordinator
Austria Kommunikationsbehörde Austria | Austria Communications Authority |
Italy Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni | Authority for Communications Guarantees |
Belgium - |
Latvia Patērētāju tiesību aizsardzības centrs | Consumer Rights Protection Centre |
Bulgaria Комисия за регулиране на съобщенията | Communications Regulation Commission |
Lithuania Lietuvos Respublikos ryšių reguliavimo tarnyba (RRT) | Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) |
Croatia Hrvatska regulatorna agencija za mrežne djelatnosti (HAKOM) | Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) |
Luxembourg Autorité de la concurrence | Competition Authority |
Cyprus ΑΡΧΗ ΡΑΔΙΟΤΗΛΕΟΡΑΣΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ | Cyprus Radiotelevision Authority |
Malta Malta Communications Authority (MCA) | Malta Communications Authority (MCA) |
Czech Republic Český telekomunikační úřad | Czech Telecommunication Office |
Netherlands Autoriteit Consument en Markt | Authority for Consumers and Markets |
Denmark Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen | Danish Competition and Consumer Authority |
Poland - |
Estonia Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Järelevalve Amet (TTJA) | Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (CPTRA) |
Portugal Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM) | National Communications Authority (ANACOM) |
Finland Liikenne- ja viestintävirasto Traficom | Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (TRAFICOM)
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Romania Autoritatea Naţională pentru Administrare şi Reglementare în Comunicaţii (ANCOM) | National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) |
France Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique (Arcom) | Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (Arcom) |
Slovakia Rada pre mediálne služby | Council for Media Services |
Germany Bundesnetzagentur für Elektrizität, Gas, Telekommunikation, Post und Eisenbahnen (BNetzA) | Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railways (BNetzA) |
Slovenia Agencija za komunikacijska omrežja in storitve Republike Slovenije (AKOS) | Agency for Communication Networks and Services of the Republic of Slovenia (AKOS) |
Greece Εθνική Επιτροπή Τηλεπικοινωνιών και Ταχυδρομείων (EETT) | Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) |
Spain Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia | National Commission for Markets and Competition |
Hungary Nemzeti Média és Hírközlési Hatóság | National Media and Infocommunications Authority |
Sweden Post- och telestyrelsen | Post and Telecom Authority
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Ireland Coimisiún na Meán | Media Commission |
The DCSs are, in principle, competent to supervise and enforce compliance with the DSA by providers of intermediary services established in their territory, regardless of their number of users.
While the Commission enjoys exclusive competence to supervise, enforce and monitor compliance by Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) with the enhanced due diligence obligations the DSA imposes upon them to address systemic risks, the Commission and the national authorities share competence for all other obligations imposed on VLOPs and VLOSEs under the DSA.
Member States may assign specific tasks to other competent authorities, but the Digital Service Coordinator (DSC) remains responsible for ensuring coordination at national level.
Together, the Digital Services Coordinators ensure that the DSA is properly enforced throughout the EU. They cooperate with each other, other national authorities, the Board and the Commission.
DSCs have the power to request access to data, order inspections and impose fines on providers of intermediary services in their territory in the event of an infringement. They are also responsible for certifying “trusted flaggers”, independent organisations who are experts in detecting, identifying and removing illegal content, and out-of-court dispute settlement bodies.
For monitoring the due diligence obligations of very large online platforms and search engines, the Commission enjoys exclusive competence.
When to contact a Digital Services Coordinator
Complaints by individuals are going to be an essential contribution to an effective enforcement of the DSA.
For this purpose, if while navigating on a platform you encounter an infringement of the DSA rules, you have the right to lodge a complaint alleging to the Digital Services Coordinator of the Member State where you are located or established.
Trusted Flaggers
The Digital Services Coordinators are responsible for awarding the status of “trusted flaggers” to entities based in their Member State.
Trusted flaggers are, for example, civil society organisations with particular expertise and competence in detecting, identifying, and notifying illegal content.
They should be independent from online platforms. Online platforms must ensure that notices submitted by trusted flaggers are given priority and are processed timely.
Out-of-court settlement bodies
The Digital Services Coordinators are also responsible for certifying out-of-court settlement bodies. To appeal a decision from a provider of online platforms, users can now choose to refer to an out-of-court dispute settlement, without prejudging the possibility to initiate, at any stage, judicial proceedings.
Related Content
Big Picture
The Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act aim to create a safer digital space where the fundamental rights of users are protected and to establish a level playing field for businesses.
Dig deeper
Under the DSA, out-of-court dispute settlement bodies offer an additional opportunity for users to resolve content moderation disputes with online platforms.
See Also
Under DSA, trusted flaggers are responsible for detecting potentially illegal content and alert online platforms. They are entities designated by the national Digital Services Coordinators.
The European Board for Digital Services is an independent advisory group that has been established by the Digital Services Act, with effect from 17 February 2024.
The DSA (Digital Services Act) whistleblower tool allows employees and other insiders to report harmful practices of Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines (VLOPs/VLOSEs)
The Digital Services Act (DSA) details a range of actions to promote transparency and accountability of online services, without hindering innovation and competitiveness.
This page provides an overview of the designated Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) supervised by the Commission and the main enforcement activities.
Since August 2023, platforms have already started to change their systems and interfaces according to the Digital Services Act (DSA) to provide a safer online experience for all.
The enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) includes a full set of investigative and sanctioning measures that can be taken by national authorities and the Commission.
The Digital Services Act (DSA) provides a framework for cooperation between the Commission, EU and national authorities to ensure platforms meet its obligations.
Very large online platforms and search engines are those with over 45 million users in the EU. They must comply with the most stringent rules of the DSA.
Find out how the DSA can make the online world safer and protect your fundamental rights.
The European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT) is committed to improved understanding and proper regulation of algorithmic systems.