The Council of Europe, in co-operation with the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), brought together key Serbian institutions, regulators, media representatives and international partners for a roundtable on the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), marking an important step towards developing a shared understanding of its implications for Serbia’s digital regulatory framework.

The discussions focused on the DSA's regulatory architecture, the responsibilities of intermediary service providers, and institutional models adopted in EU member states and countries outside the Union. Particular attention was given to the role of Digital Services Coordinators and the opportunities and challenges associated with adapting European regulatory standards to Serbia’s legal and institutional context.

Drawing on comparative European experience, Council of Europe expert presented different approaches to implementing the DSA, including models in which media regulators or converged communications authorities assume responsibility for co-ordinating its enforcement. The exchanges highlighted the importance of clearly defined institutional mandates, effective inter-institutional co-operation and safeguards for freedom of expression and other fundamental rights.

For Serbia, as an EU candidate country, the DSA presents both an opportunity and a complex regulatory challenge. The roundtable helped establish a common basis for further institutional dialogue, allowing stakeholders to exchange perspectives on their respective responsibilities and consider possible approaches to future regulatory alignment.

The dialogue was organised by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression, through the action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Serbia (PROFREX)”, which is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.