On April 17, CDT Europe and the Open Government Partnership hosted the Fifth DSA Civil Society Roundtable Series event in Brussels. With the Digital Services Act (DSA) now fully in force, over 90 participants from national regulatory bodies, European institutions, academia, and civil society gathered to discuss various aspects of DSA implementation. The event aimed to identify priorities and challenges faced by different stakeholders and explore potential areas for improved collaboration.
The event commenced with a high-level panel discussion introduced by Jack Hamande from the Belgian Presidency of the European Council. Panelists included Marco Giorello from the European Commission, Bernardo Herman from the Belgian Digital Services Coordinator, Tim Hughes from the Open Government Partnership, and Asha Allen from CDT Europe. The discussion highlighted that effective multi-stakeholder collaboration is crucial for the success of the DSA.
Participants then engaged in five technical workshops led by civil society partners from the DSA Civil Society Coordination Group. These workshops focused on themes such as global standards, enforcement cooperation, systemic risk assessment, stakeholder vetting, and compliance monitoring.
Under Chatham House rules, these workshops facilitated in-depth discussions on current priorities and engagement levels among stakeholders. For instance, since August 2023, the European Commission has been actively enforcing DSA regulations with several ongoing investigations. Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) are working at varying speeds depending on their capacity and platform sizes within their jurisdictions. Meanwhile, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are striving to allocate limited resources efficiently amidst increasing constraints.
One recurring theme was the need for clearer procedural guidelines for DSA enforcement. Suggestions included creating public timelines for input from civil society and developing standards for evidence gathering to aid compliance monitoring. Additionally, there was a call for more structured collaboration between CSOs and entities like the European Center for Algorithmic Transparency (ECAT).
Participants also discussed formalizing cooperation mechanisms between regulatory bodies and civil society organizations through platforms like the European Board for Digital Services. This board could serve as a structured space where civil society can contribute meaningfully to enforcement actions at both EU and Member State levels.
Overall, deeper collaboration between regulatory authorities and public interest groups is essential to ensure that DSA implementation meets its goals of creating a safer digital ecosystem. The roundtable series continues to provide valuable opportunities for establishing communication channels among stakeholders.
