Commission assesses DSA’s interplay with EU law

The Commission has published a report assessing the Digital Services Act’s interaction with other EU laws and its designation process for very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs). It confirms that the designation criteria, including the threshold of 45 million average monthly active recipients, remain fit for purpose and aligned with the evolving digital landscape.

The analysis maps interactions with 54 legal acts spanning data protection and privacy, audiovisual and media, intellectual property, consumer policy, product safety, and democracy, security, and justice. It concludes that the DSA complements sector-specific instruments and provides a horizontal, fully harmonized baseline on which more targeted rules can be built.

To support the ongoing digital simplification agenda, the report identifies provisions where overlaps call for closer coordination and clearer application across frameworks. This aims to strengthen coherence, legal certainty, and consistent enforcement for citizens and businesses, and will inform forthcoming legislative revisions.

Prepared under Article 91(1) DSA and due by 17 November 2025, the report reflects feedback from civil society, Digital Services Coordinators, national authorities, and platforms, including VLOPs and VLOSEs, via three Commission surveys. Stakeholders broadly call for clearer legislation, guidance, and enhanced interinstitutional cooperation. The report is positioned as a foundational legal mapping of EU rules on digital platforms and intermediated services and precedes further DSA reports by 2027 on SME impacts and overall effectiveness.