The European Commission has called on Poland to move forward with implementing the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) after President Karol Nawrocki

Speaking on Monday, Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said Brussels had taken note of the president’s decision but stressed that Poland should continue efforts to adopt the law. He underlined that harmonised digital rules across the European Union are essential to safeguarding the rights and safety of the bloc’s 450 million citizens.

Under the DSA, EU member states are required to designate national digital services coordinators responsible for enforcing the rules. Poland remains among a small group of countries — alongside the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Spain and Portugal — that have yet to appoint such an authority.

Regnier noted that due to these delays, the European Commission referred Poland to the EU’s highest court in May last year over its failure to fully implement the act.

President Nawrocki vetoed the bill on Friday, arguing that the proposed legislation could pave the way for administrative censorship and compel citizens to defend their freedom of expression before state institutions.

The decision drew criticism from within the Polish government. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski said the veto undermined efforts to make the internet safer, particularly for children, stressing that the law was aimed at combating online violence and harmful content.

The Digital Services Act entered into force across the European Union on February 17, 2024. It sets out strict rules for online platforms and search engines, with additional obligations for major companies that have more than 45 million users in the EU. These include requirements to swiftly remove illegal content and to provide greater transparency on advertising, including political advertisements. Photo by Marcin Białek, Wikimedia commons.