keyboard_tab Digital Service Act 2022/2065 EN

1.   This Regulation shall apply to intermediary_services offered to recipients of the service that have their place of establishment or are located in the Union, irrespective of where the providers of those intermediary_services have their place of establishment.

2.   This Regulation shall not apply to any service that is not an intermediary_service or to any requirements imposed in respect of such a service, irrespective of whether the service is provided through the use of an intermediary_service.

3.   This Regulation shall not affect the application of Directive 2000/31/EC.

4.   This Regulation is without prejudice to the rules laid down by other Union legal acts regulating other aspects of the provision of intermediary_services in the internal market or specifying and complementing this Regulation, in particular, the following:

1.   Upon the receipt of an order to act against one or more specific items of illegal_content, issued by the relevant national judicial or administrative authorities, on the basis of the applicable Union law or national law in compliance with Union law, providers of intermediary_services shall inform the authority issuing the order, or any other authority specified in the order, of any effect given to the order without undue delay, specifying if and when effect was given to the order.

2.   Member States shall ensure that when an order referred to in paragraph 1 is transmitted to the provider, it meets at least the following conditions:

3.   The authority issuing the order or, where applicable, the authority specified therein, shall transmit it, along with any information received from the provider of intermediary_services concerning the effect given to that order to the Digital Services Coordinator from the Member State of the issuing authority.

4.   After receiving the order from the judicial or administrative authority, the Digital Services Coordinator of the Member State concerned shall, without undue delay, transmit a copy of the order referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article to all other Digital Services Coordinators through the system established in accordance with Article 85.

5.   At the latest when effect is given to the order or, where applicable, at the time provided by the issuing authority in its order, providers of intermediary_services shall inform the recipient_of_the_service concerned of the order received and to the effect given to it. Such information provided to the recipient_of_the_service shall include a statement of reasons, the possibilities for redress that exist, and a description of the territorial scope of the order, in accordance with paragraph 2.

6.   The conditions and requirements laid down in this Article shall be without prejudice to national civil and criminal procedural law.

1.   Upon receipt of an order to provide specific information about one or more specific individual recipients of the service, issued by the relevant national judicial or administrative authorities on the basis of the applicable Union law or national law in compliance with Union law, providers of intermediary_services shall, without undue delay inform the authority issuing the order, or any other authority specified in the order, of its receipt and of the effect given to the order, specifying if and when effect was given to the order.

2.   Member States shall ensure that when an order referred to in paragraph 1 is transmitted to the provider, it meets at least the following conditions:

3.   The authority issuing the order or, where applicable, the authority specified therein, shall transmit it, along with any information received from the provider of intermediary_services concerning the effect given to that order to the Digital Services Coordinator from the Member State of the issuing authority.

4.   After receiving the order from the judicial or administrative authority, the Digital Services Coordinator of the Member State concerned shall, without undue delay, transmit a copy of the order referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article to all Digital Services Coordinators through the system established in accordance with Article 85.

5.   At the latest when effect is given to the order, or, where applicable, at the time provided by the issuing authority in its order, providers of intermediary_services shall inform the recipient_of_the_service concerned of the order received and the effect given to it. Such information provided to the recipient_of_the_service shall include a statement of reasons and the possibilities for redress that exist, in accordance with paragraph 2.

6.   The conditions and requirements laid down in this Article shall be without prejudice to national civil and criminal procedural law.

1.   Providers of intermediary_services shall designate a single point of contact to enable them to communicate directly, by electronic means, with Member States’ authorities, the Commission and the Board referred to in Article 61 for the application of this Regulation.

2.   Providers of intermediary_services shall make public the information necessary to easily identify and communicate with their single points of contact. That information shall be easily accessible, and shall be kept up to date.

3.   Providers of intermediary_services shall specify in the information referred to in paragraph 2 the official language or languages of the Member States which, in addition to a language broadly understood by the largest possible number of Union citizens, can be used to communicate with their points of contact, and which shall include at least one of the official languages of the Member State in which the provider of intermediary_services has its main establishment or where its legal representative resides or is established.

1.   Providers of intermediary_services shall designate a single point of contact to enable recipients of the service to communicate directly and rapidly with them, by electronic means and in a user-friendly manner, including by allowing recipients of the service to choose the means of communication, which shall not solely rely on automated tools.

2.   In addition to the obligations provided under Directive 2000/31/EC, providers of intermediary_services shall make public the information necessary for the recipients of the service in order to easily identify and communicate with their single points of contact. That information shall be easily accessible, and shall be kept up to date.

1.   Providers of intermediary_services which do not have an establishment in the Union but which offer services in the Union shall designate, in writing, a legal or natural person to act as their legal representative in one of the Member States where the provider offers its services.

2.   Providers of intermediary_services shall mandate their legal representatives for the purpose of being addressed in addition to or instead of such providers, by the Member States’ competent authorities, the Commission and the Board, on all issues necessary for the receipt of, compliance with and enforcement of decisions issued in relation to this Regulation. Providers of intermediary_services shall provide their legal representative with necessary powers and sufficient resources to guarantee their efficient and timely cooperation with the Member States’ competent authorities, the Commission and the Board, and to comply with such decisions.

3.   It shall be possible for the designated legal representative to be held liable for non-compliance with obligations under this Regulation, without prejudice to the liability and legal actions that could be initiated against the provider of intermediary_services.

4.   Providers of intermediary_services shall notify the name, postal address, email address and telephone number of their legal representative to the Digital Services Coordinator in the Member State where that legal representative resides or is established. They shall ensure that that information is publicly available, easily accessible, accurate and kept up to date.

5.   The designation of a legal representative within the Union pursuant to paragraph 1 shall not constitute an establishment in the Union.

1.   Providers of intermediary_services shall include information on any restrictions that they impose in relation to the use of their service in respect of information provided by the recipients of the service, in their terms_and_conditions. That information shall include information on any policies, procedures, measures and tools used for the purpose of content_moderation, including algorithmic decision-making and human review, as well as the rules of procedure of their internal complaint handling system. It shall be set out in clear, plain, intelligible, user-friendly and unambiguous language, and shall be publicly available in an easily accessible and machine-readable format.

2.   Providers of intermediary_services shall inform the recipients of the service of any significant change to the terms_and_conditions.

3.   Where an intermediary_service is primarily directed at minors or is predominantly used by them, the provider of that intermediary_service shall explain the conditions for, and any restrictions on, the use of the service in a way that minors can understand.

4.   Providers of intermediary_services shall act in a diligent, objective and proportionate manner in applying and enforcing the restrictions referred to in paragraph 1, with due regard to the rights and legitimate interests of all parties involved, including the fundamental rights of the recipients of the service, such as the freedom of expression, freedom and pluralism of the media, and other fundamental rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Charter.

5.   Providers of very large online_platforms and of very large online_search_engines shall provide recipients of services with a concise, easily-accessible and machine-readable summary of the terms_and_conditions, including the available remedies and redress mechanisms, in clear and unambiguous language.

6.   Very large online_platforms and very large online_search_engines within the meaning of Article 33 shall publish their terms_and_conditions in the official languages of all the Member States in which they offer their services.

1.   Providers of intermediary_services shall make publicly available, in a machine-readable format and in an easily accessible manner, at least once a year, clear, easily comprehensible reports on any content_moderation that they engaged in during the relevant period. Those reports shall include, in particular, information on the following, as applicable:

2.   Paragraph 1 of this Article shall not apply to providers of intermediary_services that qualify as micro or small enterprises as defined in Recommendation 2003/361/EC and which are not very large online_platforms within the meaning of Article 33 of this Regulation.

3.   The Commission may adopt implementing acts to lay down templates concerning the form, content and other details of reports pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article, including harmonised reporting periods. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 88.

1.   The Commission and the Board shall encourage and facilitate the drawing up of voluntary codes of conduct at Union level to contribute to the proper application of this Regulation, taking into account in particular the specific challenges of tackling different types of illegal_content and systemic risks, in accordance with Union law in particular on competition and the protection of personal data.

2.   Where significant systemic risk within the meaning of Article 34(1) emerge and concern several very large online_platforms or very large online_search_engines, the Commission may invite the providers of very large online_platforms concerned or the providers of very large online_search_engines concerned, and other providers of very large online_platforms, of very large online_search_engines, of online_platforms and of other intermediary_services, as appropriate, as well as relevant competent authorities, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders, to participate in the drawing up of codes of conduct, including by setting out commitments to take specific risk mitigation measures, as well as a regular reporting framework on any measures taken and their outcomes.

3.   When giving effect to paragraphs 1 and 2, the Commission and the Board, and where relevant other bodies, shall aim to ensure that the codes of conduct clearly set out their specific objectives, contain key performance indicators to measure the achievement of those objectives and take due account of the needs and interests of all interested parties, and in particular citizens, at Union level. The Commission and the Board shall also aim to ensure that participants report regularly to the Commission and their respective Digital Services Coordinators of establishment on any measures taken and their outcomes, as measured against the key performance indicators that they contain. Key performance indicators and reporting commitments shall take into account differences in size and capacity between different participants.

4.   The Commission and the Board shall assess whether the codes of conduct meet the aims specified in paragraphs 1 and 3, and shall regularly monitor and evaluate the achievement of their objectives, having regard to the key performance indicators that they might contain. They shall publish their conclusions.

The Commission and the Board shall also encourage and facilitate regular review and adaptation of the codes of conduct.

In the case of systematic failure to comply with the codes of conduct, the Commission and the Board may invite the signatories to the codes of conduct to take the necessary action.

1.   The Commission shall encourage and facilitate the drawing up of voluntary codes of conduct at Union level by providers of online_platforms and other relevant service providers, such as providers of online advertising intermediary_services, other actors involved in the programmatic advertising value chain, or organisations representing recipients of the service and civil society organisations or relevant authorities to contribute to further transparency for actors in the online advertising value chain beyond the requirements of Articles 26 and 39.

2.   The Commission shall aim to ensure that the codes of conduct pursue an effective transmission of information that fully respects the rights and interests of all parties involved, as well as a competitive, transparent and fair environment in online advertising, in accordance with Union and national law, in particular on competition and the protection of privacy and personal data. The Commission shall aim to ensure that the codes of conduct at least address the following:

3.   The Commission shall encourage the development of the codes of conduct by 18 February 2025 and their application by 18 August 2025.

4.   The Commission shall encourage all the actors in the online advertising value chain referred to in paragraph 1 to endorse the commitments stated in the codes of conduct, and to comply with them.

1.   The Board may recommend that the Commission initiate the drawing up, in accordance with paragraphs 2, 3 and 4, of voluntary crisis protocols for addressing crisis situations. Those situations shall be strictly limited to extraordinary circumstances affecting public security or public health.

2.   The Commission shall encourage and facilitate the providers of very large online_platforms, of very large online_search_engines and, where appropriate, the providers of other online_platforms or of other online_search_engines, to participate in the drawing up, testing and application of those crisis protocols. The Commission shall aim to ensure that those crisis protocols include one or more of the following measures:

3.   The Commission shall, as appropriate, involve Member States’ authorities, and may also involve Union bodies, offices and agencies in drawing up, testing and supervising the application of the crisis protocols. The Commission may, where necessary and appropriate, also involve civil society organisations or other relevant organisations in drawing up the crisis protocols.

4.   The Commission shall aim to ensure that the crisis protocols set out clearly all of the following:

5.   If the Commission considers that a crisis protocol fails to effectively address the crisis situation, or to safeguard the exercise of fundamental rights as referred to in paragraph 4, point (e), it shall request the participants to revise the crisis protocol, including by taking additional measures.

1.   Member States shall designate one or more competent authorities to be responsible for the supervision of providers of intermediary_services and enforcement of this Regulation (‘competent authorities’).

2.   Member States shall designate one of the competent authorities as their Digital Services Coordinator. The Digital Services Coordinator shall be responsible for all matters relating to supervision and enforcement of this Regulation in that Member State, unless the Member State concerned has assigned certain specific tasks or sectors to other competent authorities. The Digital Services Coordinator shall in any event be responsible for ensuring coordination at national level in respect of those matters and for contributing to the effective and consistent supervision and enforcement of this Regulation throughout the Union.

For that purpose, Digital Services Coordinators shall cooperate with each other, other national competent authorities, the Board and the Commission, without prejudice to the possibility for Member States to provide for cooperation mechanisms and regular exchanges of views between the Digital Services Coordinator and other national authorities where relevant for the performance of their respective tasks.

Where a Member State designates one or more competent authorities in addition to the Digital Services Coordinator, it shall ensure that the respective tasks of those authorities and of the Digital Services Coordinator are clearly defined and that they cooperate closely and effectively when performing their tasks.

3.   Member States shall designate the Digital Services Coordinators by 17 February 2024.

Member States shall make publicly available, and communicate to the Commission and the Board, the name of their competent authority designated as Digital Services Coordinator and information on how it can be contacted. The Member State concerned shall communicate to the Commission and the Board the name of the other competent authorities referred to in paragraph 2, as well as their respective tasks.

4.   The provisions applicable to Digital Services Coordinators set out in Articles 50, 51 and 56 shall also apply to any other competent authorities that the Member States designate pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article.

1.   Member States shall ensure that their Digital Services Coordinators perform their tasks under this Regulation in an impartial, transparent and timely manner. Member States shall ensure that their Digital Services Coordinators have all necessary resources to carry out their tasks, including sufficient technical, financial and human resources to adequately supervise all providers of intermediary_services falling within their competence. Each Member State shall ensure that its Digital Services Coordinator has sufficient autonomy in managing its budget within the budget's overall limits, in order not to adversely affect the independence of the Digital Services Coordinator.

2.   When carrying out their tasks and exercising their powers in accordance with this Regulation, the Digital Services Coordinators shall act with complete independence. They shall remain free from any external influence, whether direct or indirect, and shall neither seek nor take instructions from any other public authority or any private party.

3.   Paragraph 2 of this Article is without prejudice to the tasks of Digital Services Coordinators within the system of supervision and enforcement provided for in this Regulation and the cooperation with other competent authorities in accordance with Article 49(2). Paragraph 2 of this Article shall not prevent the exercise of judicial review and shall also be without prejudice to proportionate accountability requirements regarding the general activities of the Digital Services Coordinators, such as financial expenditure or reporting to national parliaments, provided that those requirements do not undermine the achievement of the objectives of this Regulation.

1.   Where needed in order to carry out their tasks under this Regulation, Digital Services Coordinators shall have the following powers of investigation, in respect of conduct by providers of intermediary_services falling within the competence of their Member State:

2.   Where needed for carrying out their tasks under this Regulation, Digital Services Coordinators shall have the following enforcement powers, in respect of providers of intermediary_services falling within the competence of their Member State:

As regards the first subparagraph, points (c) and (d), Digital Services Coordinators shall also have the enforcement powers set out in those points in respect of the other persons referred to in paragraph 1 for failure to comply with any of the orders issued to them pursuant to that paragraph. They shall only exercise those enforcement powers after providing those other persons in good time with all relevant information relating to such orders, including the applicable period, the fines or periodic payments that may be imposed for failure to comply and the possibilities for redress.

3.   Where needed for carrying out their tasks under this Regulation, Digital Services Coordinators shall, in respect of providers of intermediary_services falling within the competence of their Member State, where all other powers pursuant to this Article to bring about the cessation of an infringement have been exhausted and the infringement has not been remedied or is continuing and is causing serious harm which cannot be avoided through the exercise of other powers available under Union or national law, also have the power to take the following measures:

The Digital Services Coordinator shall, except where it acts upon the Commission’s request referred to in Article 82, prior to submitting the request referred to in the first subparagraph, point (b), of this paragraph invite interested parties to submit written observations within a period that shall not be less than two weeks, describing the measures that it intends to request and identifying the intended addressee or addressees thereof. The provider of intermediary_services, the intended addressee or addressees and any other third party demonstrating a legitimate interest shall be entitled to participate in the proceedings before the competent judicial authority. Any measure ordered shall be proportionate to the nature, gravity, recurrence and duration of the infringement, without unduly restricting access to lawful information by recipients of the service concerned.

The restriction of access shall be for a period of four weeks, subject to the possibility for the competent judicial authority, in its order, to allow the Digital Services Coordinator to extend that period for further periods of the same lengths, subject to a maximum number of extensions set by that judicial authority. The Digital Services Coordinator shall only extend the period where, having regard to the rights and interests of all parties affected by that restriction and all relevant circumstances, including any information that the provider of intermediary_services, the addressee or addressees and any other third party that demonstrated a legitimate interest may provide to it, it considers that both of the following conditions have been met:

Where the Digital Services Coordinator considers that the conditions set out in the third subparagraph, points (a) and (b), have been met but it cannot further extend the period pursuant to the third subparagraph, it shall submit a new request to the competent judicial authority, as referred to in the first subparagraph, point (b).

4.   The powers listed in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall be without prejudice to Section 3.

5.   The measures taken by the Digital Services Coordinators in the exercise of their powers listed in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall be effective, dissuasive and proportionate, having regard, in particular, to the nature, gravity, recurrence and duration of the infringement or suspected infringement to which those measures relate, as well as the economic, technical and operational capacity of the provider of the intermediary_services concerned where relevant.

6.   Member States shall lay down specific rules and procedures for the exercise of the powers pursuant to paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 and shall ensure that any exercise of those powers is subject to adequate safeguards laid down in the applicable national law in compliance with the Charter and with the general principles of Union law. In particular, those measures shall only be taken in accordance with the right to respect for private life and the rights of defence, including the rights to be heard and of access to the file, and subject to the right to an effective judicial remedy of all affected parties.

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.

1.   The Member State in which the main establishment of the provider of intermediary_services is located shall have exclusive powers to supervise and enforce this Regulation, except for the powers provided for in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4.

2.   The Commission shall have exclusive powers to supervise and enforce Section 5 of Chapter III.

3.   The Commission shall have powers to supervise and enforce this Regulation, other than those laid down in Section 5 of Chapter III thereof, against providers of very large online_platforms and of very large online_search_engines.

4.   Where the Commission has not initiated proceedings for the same infringement, the Member State in which the main establishment of the provider of very large online_platform or of very large online_search_engine is located shall have powers to supervise and enforce the obligations under this Regulation, other than those laid down in Section 5 of Chapter III, with respect to those providers.

5.   Member States and the Commission shall supervise and enforce the provisions of this Regulation in close cooperation.

6.   Where a provider of intermediary_services does not have an establishment in the Union, the Member State where its legal representative resides or is established or the Commission shall have powers, as applicable, in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 4 of this Article, to supervise and enforce the relevant obligations under this Regulation.

7.   Where a provider of intermediary_services fails to appoint a legal representative in accordance with Article 13, all Member States and, in case of a provider of a very large online_platform or very large online_search_engine, the Commission shall have powers to supervise and enforce in accordance with this Article.

Where a Digital Services Coordinator intends to exercise its powers under this paragraph, it shall notify all other Digital Services Coordinators and the Commission, and ensure that the applicable safeguards afforded by the Charter are respected, in particular to avoid that the same conduct is sanctioned more than once for the infringement of the obligations laid down in this Regulation. Where the Commission intends to exercise its powers under this paragraph, it shall notify all other Digital Services Coordinators of that intention. Following the notification pursuant to this paragraph, other Member States shall not initiate proceedings for the same infringement as that referred to in the notification.

1.   Digital Services Coordinators and the Commission shall cooperate closely and provide each other with mutual assistance in order to apply this Regulation in a consistent and efficient manner. Mutual assistance shall include, in particular, exchange of information in accordance with this Article and the duty of the Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment to inform all Digital Services Coordinators of destination, the Board and the Commission about the opening of an investigation and the intention to take a final decision, including its assessment, in respect of a specific provider of intermediary_services.

2.   For the purpose of an investigation, the Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment may request other Digital Services Coordinators to provide specific information in their possession as regards a specific provider of intermediary_services or to exercise their investigative powers referred to in Article 51(1) with regard to specific information located in their Member State. Where appropriate, the Digital Services Coordinator receiving the request may involve other competent authorities or other public authorities of the Member State in question.

3.   The Digital Services Coordinator receiving the request pursuant to paragraph 2 shall comply with such request and inform the Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment about the action taken, without undue delay and no later than two months after its receipt, unless:

The Digital Services Coordinator receiving the request shall justify its refusal by submitting a reasoned reply, within the period set out in the first subparagraph.

1.   Unless the Commission has initiated an investigation for the same alleged infringement, where a Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_destination has reason to suspect that a provider of an intermediary_service has infringed this Regulation in a manner negatively affecting the recipients of the service in the Member State of that Digital Services Coordinator, it may request the Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment to assess the matter and to take the necessary investigatory and enforcement measures to ensure compliance with this Regulation.

2.   Unless the Commission has initiated an investigation for the same alleged infringement, and at the request of at least three Digital Services Coordinators of destination that have reason to suspect that a specific provider of intermediary_services infringed this Regulation in a manner negatively affecting recipients of the service in their Member States, the Board may request the Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment to assess the matter and take the necessary investigatory and enforcement measures to ensure compliance with this Regulation.

3.   A request pursuant to paragraph 1 or 2 shall be duly reasoned, and shall at least indicate:

4.   The Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment shall take utmost account of the request pursuant to paragraphs 1 or 2 of this Article. Where it considers that it has insufficient information to act upon the request and has reasons to consider that the Digital Services Coordinator that sent the request, or the Board, could provide additional information, the Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment may either request such information in accordance with Article 57 or, alternatively, may launch a joint investigation pursuant to Article 60(1) involving at least the requesting Digital Services Coordinator. The period laid down in paragraph 5 of this Article shall be suspended until that additional information is provided or until the invitation to participate in the joint investigation is refused.

5.   The Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment shall, without undue delay and in any event not later than two months following receipt of the request pursuant to paragraph 1 or 2, communicate to the Digital Services Coordinator that sent the request, and the Board, the assessment of the suspected infringement and an explanation of any investigatory or enforcement measures taken or envisaged in relation thereto to ensure compliance with this Regulation.

1.   The Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment may launch and lead joint investigations with the participation of one or more other Digital Services Coordinators concerned:

2.   Any Digital Services Coordinator that proves that it has a legitimate interest in participating in a joint investigation pursuant to paragraph 1 may request to do so. The joint investigation shall be concluded within three months from its launch, unless otherwise agreed amongst the participants.

The Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment shall communicate its preliminary position on the alleged infringement no later than one month after the end of the deadline referred to in the first subparagraph to all Digital Services Coordinators, the Commission and the Board. The preliminary position shall take into account the views of all other Digital Services Coordinators participating in the joint investigation. Where applicable, this preliminary position shall also set out the enforcement measures envisaged.

3.   The Board may refer the matter to the Commission pursuant to Article 59, where:

4.   In carrying out the joint investigation, the participating Digital Services Coordinators shall cooperate in good faith, taking into account, where applicable, the indications of the Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment and the Board’s recommendation. The Digital Services Coordinators of destination participating in the joint investigation shall be entitled, at the request of or after having consulted the Digital_Services_Coordinator_of_establishment, to exercise their investigative powers referred to in Article 51(1) in respect of the providers of intermediary_services concerned by the alleged infringement, with regard to information and premises located within their territory.

1.   An independent advisory group of Digital Services Coordinators on the supervision of providers of intermediary_services named ‘European Board for Digital Services’ (the ‘Board’) is established.

2.   The Board shall advise the Digital Services Coordinators and the Commission in accordance with this Regulation to achieve the following objectives:

1.   Without prejudice to Directive (EU) 2020/1828 or to any other type of representation under national law, recipients of intermediary_services shall at least have the right to mandate a body, organisation or association to exercise the rights conferred by this Regulation on their behalf, provided the body, organisation or association meets all of the following conditions:

2.   Providers of online_platforms shall take the necessary technical and organisational measures to ensure that complaints submitted by bodies, organisations or associations referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article on behalf of recipients of the service through the mechanisms referred to in Article 20(1) are processed and decided upon with priority and without undue delay.

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:

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:

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.