Brussels: The European Commission has taken decisive action by referring Cyprus, alongside four other countries, to the Court of Justice of the European Union. This move comes as part of the Commission’s May infringements package, highlighting the lack of effective implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) by these nations. Cyprus did appoint the Cyprus Radiotelevision Authority as its Digital Services Coordinator (DSC), but has not granted it the necessary powers to fulfill its responsibilities under the DSA.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the European Commission has identified that Cyprus, Czechia, Spain, Poland, and Portugal have not met their obligations to designate and empower a national DSC as per the requirements of the Digital Services Act, Regulation 2022/2065. These nations were mandated to have these measures in place by 17 February 2024.
Member States are required to empower their DSCs to ensure effective supervision and enforcement of EU regulations concerning online intermediary services. This includes the oversight of online platforms such as marketplaces, social networks, content-sharing platforms, and app stores. Additionally, member states were expected to establish penalties for breaches of the Regulation.
Among the countries referred, Poland stands out as the only one that failed to both designate and empower a DSC. Meanwhile, Czechia, Cyprus, Spain, and Portugal have each designated a DSC but have not provided them with the necessary powers to execute their duties under the DSA.