keyboard_tab Digital Service Act 2022/2065 EN
BG CS DA DE EL EN ES ET FI FR GA HR HU IT LV LT MT NL PL PT RO SK SL SV print pdf
- 2 Art. 21 Out-of-court dispute settlement
- 12 Art. 43 Supervisory fee
- 2 Art. 52 Penalties
- 3 Art. 55 Activity reports
- 2 Art. 74 Fines
- 1 Art. 76 Periodic penalty payments
- 1 Art. 91 Review
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER II
LIABILITY OF PROVIDERS OF INTERMEDIARY SERVICES
CHAPTER III
DUE DILIGENCE OBLIGATIONS FOR A TRANSPARENT AND SAFE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT
SECTION 1
Provisions applicable to all providers of intermediary services
SECTION 2
Additional provisions applicable to providers of hosting services, including online platforms
SECTION 3
Additional provisions applicable to providers of online platforms
SECTION 4
Additional provisions applicable to providers of online platforms allowing consumers to conclude distance contracts with traders
SECTION 5
Additional obligations for providers of very large online platforms and of very large online search engines to manage systemic risks
SECTION 6
Other provisions concerning due diligence obligations
CHAPTER IV
IMPLEMENTATION, COOPERATION, PENALTIES AND ENFORCEMENT
SECTION 1
Competent authorities and national Digital Services Coordinators
SECTION 2
Competences, coordinated investigation and consistency mechanisms
SECTION 3
European Board for Digital Services
SECTION 4
Supervision, investigation, enforcement and monitoring in respect of providers of very large online platforms and of very large online search engines
SECTION 5
Common provisions on enforcement
SECTION 6
Delegated and implementing acts
CHAPTER V
FINAL PROVISIONS
- information society service
- recipient of the service
- consumer
- to offer services in the Union
- substantial connection to the Union
- trader
- intermediary service
- mere conduit
- caching
- hosting
- illegal content
- online platform
- online search engine
- dissemination to the public
- distance contract
- online interface
- Digital Services Coordinator of establishment
- Digital Services Coordinator of destination
- active recipient of an online platform
- active recipient of an online search engine
- advertisement
- recommender system
- content moderation
- terms and conditions
- persons with disabilities
- commercial communication
- turnover
- Mere conduit
- Caching
- shall 66
- dispute 40
- settlement 35
- out-of-court 27
- pursuant 27
- commission 25
- to article 23
- referred 22
- paragraph 21
- large 20
- annual 20
- very 20
- body 20
- information 19
- services 17
- decision 16
- report 15
- provider 15
- digital 15
- including 14
- concerned 14
- online_platform 13
- bodies 13
- supervisory 13
- certified 12
- the 12
- accordance 11
- amount 11
- have 11
- coordinator 10
- providers 10
- in article 9
- comply 9
- they 9
- fees 9
- year 9
- regulation 9
- applicable 8
- preceding 8
- online_platforms 8
- disputes 8
- worldwide 7
- subparagraph 7
- financial 7
- article 7
- ensure 7
- functioning 7
- acts 7
- which 7
- online_search_engine 7
Article 21
Out-of-court dispute settlement
1. Recipients of the service, including individuals or entities that have submitted notices, addressed by the decisions referred to in Article 20(1) shall be entitled to select any out-of-court dispute settlement body that has been certified in accordance with paragraph 3 of this Article in order to resolve disputes relating to those decisions, including complaints that have not been resolved by means of the internal complaint-handling system referred to in that Article.
Providers of online_platforms shall ensure that information about the possibility for recipients of the service to have access to an out-of-court dispute settlement, as referred to in the first subparagraph, is easily accessible on their online_interface, clear and user-friendly.
The first subparagraph is without prejudice to the right of the recipient_of_the_service concerned to initiate, at any stage, proceedings to contest those decisions by the providers of online_platforms before a court in accordance with the applicable law.
2. Both parties shall engage, in good faith, with the selected certified out-of-court dispute settlement body with a view to resolving the dispute.
Providers of online_platforms may refuse to engage with such out-of-court dispute settlement body if a dispute has already been resolved concerning the same information and the same grounds of alleged illegality or incompatibility of content.
The certified out-of-court dispute settlement body shall not have the power to impose a binding settlement of the dispute on the parties.
3. The Digital Services Coordinator of the Member State where the out-of-court dispute settlement body is established shall, for a maximum period of five years, which may be renewed, certify the body, at its request, where the body has demonstrated that it meets all of the following conditions:
| (a) | it is impartial and independent, including financially independent, of providers of online_platforms and of recipients of the service provided by providers of online_platforms, including of individuals or entities that have submitted notices; |
| (b) | it has the necessary expertise in relation to the issues arising in one or more particular areas of illegal_content, or in relation to the application and enforcement of terms_and_conditions of one or more types of online_platform, allowing the body to contribute effectively to the settlement of a dispute; |
| (c) | its members are remunerated in a way that is not linked to the outcome of the procedure; |
| (d) | the out-of-court dispute settlement that it offers is easily accessible, through electronic communications technology and provides for the possibility to initiate the dispute settlement and to submit the requisite supporting documents online; |
| (e) | it is capable of settling disputes in a swift, efficient and cost-effective manner and in at least one of the official languages of the institutions of the Union; |
| (f) | the out-of-court dispute settlement that it offers takes place in accordance with clear and fair rules of procedure that are easily and publicly accessible, and that comply with applicable law, including this Article. |
The Digital Services Coordinator shall, where applicable, specify in the certificate:
| (a) | the particular issues to which the body’s expertise relates, as referred to in point (b) of the first subparagraph; and |
| (b) | the official language or languages of the institutions of the Union in which the body is capable of settling disputes, as referred to in point (e) of the first subparagraph. |
4. Certified out-of-court dispute settlement bodies shall report to the Digital Services Coordinator that certified them, on an annual basis, on their functioning, specifying at least the number of disputes they received, the information about the outcomes of those disputes, the average time taken to resolve them and any shortcomings or difficulties encountered. They shall provide additional information at the request of that Digital Services Coordinator.
Digital Services Coordinators shall, every two years, draw up a report on the functioning of the out-of-court dispute settlement bodies that they certified. That report shall in particular:
| (a) | list the number of disputes that each certified out-of-court dispute settlement body has received annually; |
| (b) | indicate the outcomes of the procedures brought before those bodies and the average time taken to resolve the disputes; |
| (c) | identify and explain any systematic or sectoral shortcomings or difficulties encountered in relation to the functioning of those bodies; |
| (d) | identify best practices concerning that functioning; |
| (e) | make recommendations as to how to improve that functioning, where appropriate. |
Certified out-of-court dispute settlement bodies shall make their decisions available to the parties within a reasonable period of time and no later than 90 calendar days after the receipt of the complaint. In the case of highly complex disputes, the certified out-of-court dispute settlement body may, at its own discretion, extend the 90 calendar day period for an additional period that shall not exceed 90 days, resulting in a maximum total duration of 180 days.
5. If the out-of-court dispute settlement body decides the dispute in favour of the recipient_of_the_service, including the individual or entity that has submitted a notice, the provider of the online_platform shall bear all the fees charged by the out-of-court dispute settlement body, and shall reimburse that recipient, including the individual or entity, for any other reasonable expenses that it has paid in relation to the dispute settlement. If the out-of-court dispute settlement body decides the dispute in favour of the provider of the online_platform, the recipient_of_the_service, including the individual or entity, shall not be required to reimburse any fees or other expenses that the provider of the online_platform paid or is to pay in relation to the dispute settlement, unless the out-of-court dispute settlement body finds that that recipient manifestly acted in bad faith.
The fees charged by the out-of-court dispute settlement body to the providers of online_platforms for the dispute settlement shall be reasonable and shall in any event not exceed the costs incurred by the body. For recipients of the service, the dispute settlement shall be available free of charge or at a nominal fee.
Certified out-of-court dispute settlement bodies shall make the fees, or the mechanisms used to determine the fees, known to the recipient_of_the_service, including to the individuals or entities that have submitted a notice, and to the provider of the online_platform concerned, before engaging in the dispute settlement.
6. Member States may establish out-of-court dispute settlement bodies for the purposes of paragraph 1 or support the activities of some or all out-of-court dispute settlement bodies that they have certified in accordance with paragraph 3.
Member States shall ensure that any of their activities undertaken under the first subparagraph do not affect the ability of their Digital Services Coordinators to certify the bodies concerned in accordance with paragraph 3.
7. A Digital Services Coordinator that has certified an out-of-court dispute settlement body shall revoke that certification if it determines, following an investigation either on its own initiative or on the basis of the information received by third parties, that the out-of-court dispute settlement body no longer meets the conditions set out in paragraph 3. Before revoking that certification, the Digital Services Coordinator shall afford that body an opportunity to react to the findings of its investigation and its intention to revoke the out-of-court dispute settlement body’s certification.
8. Digital Services Coordinators shall notify to the Commission the out-of-court dispute settlement bodies that they have certified in accordance with paragraph 3, including where applicable the specifications referred to in the second subparagraph of that paragraph, as well as the out-of-court dispute settlement bodies the certification of which they have revoked. The Commission shall publish a list of those bodies, including those specifications, on a dedicated website that is easily accessible, and keep it up to date.
9. This Article is without prejudice to Directive 2013/11/EU and alternative dispute resolution procedures and entities for consumers established under that Directive.
Article 43
Supervisory fee
1. The Commission shall charge providers of very large online_platforms and of very large online_search_engines an annual supervisory fee upon their designation pursuant to Article 33.
2. The overall amount of the annual supervisory fees shall cover the estimated costs that the Commission incurs in relation to its supervisory tasks under this Regulation, in particular costs related to the designation pursuant to Article 33, to the set-up, maintenance and operation of the database pursuant to Article 24(5) and to the information sharing system pursuant to Article 85, to referrals pursuant to Article 59, to supporting the Board pursuant to Article 62 and to the supervisory tasks pursuant to Article 56 and Section 4 of Chapter IV.
3. The providers of very large online_platforms and of very large online_search_engines shall be charged annually a supervisory fee for each service for which they have been designated pursuant to Article 33.
The Commission shall adopt implementing acts establishing the amount of the annual supervisory fee in respect of each provider of very large online_platform or of very large online_search_engine. When adopting those implementing acts, the Commission shall apply the methodology laid down in the delegated act referred to in paragraph 4 of this Article and shall respect the principles set out in paragraph 5 of this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 88.
4. The Commission shall adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 87, laying down the detailed methodology and procedures for:
| (a) | the determination of the estimated costs referred to in paragraph 2; |
| (b) | the determination of the individual annual supervisory fees referred to in paragraph 5, points (b) and (c); |
| (c) | the determination of the maximum overall limit defined in paragraph 5, point (c); and |
| (d) | the detailed arrangements necessary to make payments. |
When adopting those delegated acts, the Commission shall respect the principles set out in paragraph 5 of this Article.
5. The implementing act referred to in paragraph 3 and the delegated act referred to in paragraph 4 shall respect the following principles:
| (a) | the estimation of the overall amount of the annual supervisory fee takes into account the costs incurred in the previous year; |
| (b) | the annual supervisory fee is proportionate to the number of average monthly active recipients in the Union of each very large online_platform or each very large online_search_engine designated pursuant to Article 33; |
| (c) | the overall amount of the annual supervisory fee charged on a given provider of very large online_platform or very large search engine does not, in any case, exceed 0,05 % of its worldwide annual net income in the preceding financial year. |
6. The individual annual supervisory fees charged pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article shall constitute external assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council (41).
7. The Commission shall report annually to the European Parliament and to the Council on the overall amount of the costs incurred for the fulfilment of the tasks under this Regulation and the total amount of the individual annual supervisory fees charged in the preceding year.
SECTION 6
Other provisions concerning due diligence obligations
Article 52
Penalties
1. Member States shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of this Regulation by providers of intermediary_services within their competence and shall take all the necessary measures to ensure that they are implemented in accordance with Article 51.
2. Penalties shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. Member States shall notify the Commission of those rules and of those measures and shall notify it, without delay, of any subsequent amendments affecting them.
3. Member States shall ensure that the maximum amount of fines that may be imposed for a failure to comply with an obligation laid down in this Regulation shall be 6 % of the annual worldwide turnover of the provider of intermediary_services concerned in the preceding financial year. Member States shall ensure that the maximum amount of the fine that may be imposed for the supply of incorrect, incomplete or misleading information, failure to reply or rectify incorrect, incomplete or misleading information and failure to submit to an inspection shall be 1 % of the annual income or worldwide turnover of the provider of intermediary_services or person concerned in the preceding financial year.
4. Member States shall ensure that the maximum amount of a periodic penalty payment shall be 5 % of the average daily worldwide turnover or income of the provider of intermediary_services concerned in the preceding financial year per day, calculated from the date specified in the decision concerned.
Article 55
Activity reports
1. Digital Services Coordinators shall draw up annual reports on their activities under this Regulation, including the number of complaints received pursuant to Article 53 and an overview of their follow-up. The Digital Services Coordinators shall make the annual reports available to the public in a machine-readable format, subject to the applicable rules on the confidentiality of information pursuant to Article 84, and shall communicate them to the Commission and to the Board.
2. The annual report shall also include the following information:
| (a) | the number and subject matter of orders to act against illegal_content and orders to provide information issued in accordance with Articles 9 and 10 by any national judicial or administrative authority of the Member State of the Digital Services Coordinator concerned; |
| (b) | the effects given to those orders, as communicated to the Digital Services Coordinator pursuant to Articles 9 and 10. |
3. Where a Member State has designated several competent authorities pursuant to Article 49, it shall ensure that the Digital Services Coordinator draws up a single report covering the activities of all competent authorities and that the Digital Services Coordinator receives all relevant information and support needed to that effect from the other competent authorities concerned.
SECTION 2
Competences, coordinated investigation and consistency mechanisms
Article 74
Fines
1. In the decision referred to in Article 73, the Commission may impose on the provider of the very large online_platform or of the very large online_search_engine concerned fines not exceeding 6 % of its total worldwide annual turnover in the preceding financial year where it finds that the provider, intentionally or negligently:
| (a) | infringes the relevant provisions of this Regulation; |
| (b) | fails to comply with a decision ordering interim measures under Article 70; or |
| (c) | fails to comply with a commitment made binding by a decision pursuant to Article 71. |
2. The Commission may adopt a decision imposing on the provider of the very large online_platform or of the very large online_search_engine concerned or on another natural or legal person referred to in Article 67(1) fines not exceeding 1 % of the total annual income or worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year, where they intentionally or negligently:
| (a) | supply incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in response to a simple request or request by a decision pursuant to Article 67; |
| (b) | fail to reply to the request for information by decision within the set period; |
| (c) | fail to rectify within the period set by the Commission, incorrect, incomplete or misleading information given by a member of staff, or fail or refuse to provide complete information; |
| (d) | refuse to submit to an inspection pursuant to Article 69; |
| (e) | fail to comply with the measures adopted by the Commission pursuant to Article 72; or |
| (f) | fail to comply with the conditions for access to the Commission’s file pursuant to Article 79(4). |
3. Before adopting the decision pursuant to paragraph 2 of this Article, the Commission shall communicate its preliminary findings to the provider of the very large online_platform or of the very large online_search_engine concerned or to another person referred to in Article 67(1).
4. In fixing the amount of the fine, the Commission shall have regard to the nature, gravity, duration and recurrence of the infringement and, for fines imposed pursuant to paragraph 2, the delay caused to the proceedings.
Article 76
Periodic penalty payments
1. The Commission may adopt a decision, imposing on the provider of the very large online_platform or of the very large online_search_engine concerned or other person referred to in Article 67(1), as applicable, periodic penalty payments not exceeding 5 % of the average daily income or worldwide annual turnover in the preceding financial year per day, calculated from the date appointed by the decision, in order to compel them to:
| (a) | supply correct and complete information in response to a decision requiring information pursuant to Article 67; |
| (b) | submit to an inspection which it has ordered by decision pursuant to Article 69; |
| (c) | comply with a decision ordering interim measures pursuant to Article 70(1); |
| (d) | comply with commitments made legally binding by a decision pursuant to Article 71(1); |
| (e) | comply with a decision pursuant to Article 73(1), including where applicable the requirements it contains relating to the action plan referred to in Article 75. |
2. Where the provider of the very large online_platform or of the very large online_search_engine concerned or other person referred to in Article 67(1) has satisfied the obligation which the periodic penalty payment was intended to enforce, the Commission may fix the definitive amount of the periodic penalty payment at a figure lower than that under the original decision.
Article 91
Review
1. By 18 February 2027, the Commission shall evaluate and report to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee on the potential effect of this Regulation on the development and economic growth of small and medium-sized enterprises.
By 17 November 2025, the Commission shall evaluate and report to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee on:
| (a) | the application of Article 33, including the scope of providers of intermediary_services covered by the obligations set out in Section 5 of Chapter III of this Regulation; |
| (b) | the way that this Regulation interacts with other legal acts, in particular the acts referred to in Article 2(3) and (4). |
2. By 17 November 2027, and every five years thereafter, the Commission shall evaluate this Regulation, and report to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee.
This report shall address in particular:
| (a) | the application of paragraph 1, second subparagraph, points (a) and (b); |
| (b) | the contribution of this Regulation to the deepening and efficient functioning of the internal market for intermediary_services, in particular as regards the cross-border provision of digital services; |
| (c) | the application of Articles 13, 16, 20, 21, 45 and 46; |
| (d) | the scope of the obligations on small and micro enterprises; |
| (e) | the effectiveness of the supervision and enforcement mechanisms; |
| (f) | the impact on the respect for the right to freedom of expression and information. |
3. Where appropriate, the report referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be accompanied by a proposal for amendment of this Regulation.
4. The Commission shall, in the report referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, also evaluate and report on the annual reports on their activities by the Digital Services Coordinators provided to the Commission and the Board pursuant to Article 55(1).
5. For the purpose of paragraph 2, Member States and the Board shall send information on the request of the Commission.
6. In carrying out the evaluations referred to in paragraph 2, the Commission shall take into account the positions and findings of the European Parliament, the Council, and other relevant bodies or sources, and shall pay specific attention to small and medium-sized enterprises and the position of new competitors.
7. By 18 February 2027, the Commission, after consulting the Board, shall carry out an assessment of the functioning of the Board and of the application of Article 43, and shall report it to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee, taking into account the first years of application of the Regulation. On the basis of the findings and taking utmost account of the opinion of the Board, that report shall, where appropriate, be accompanied by a proposal for amendment of this Regulation with regard to the structure of the Board.
whereas