The European Commission has intensified enforcement action against Croatia by issuing an additional letter of formal notice over shortcomings in the country’s implementation of the Digital Services Act. While Croatia adopted national legislation in 2025, the Commission remains concerned that the country’s enforcement framework is not fully capable of applying the regulation effectively in practice.
A key issue identified is that the national authority responsible for overseeing the Digital Services Act has not been granted sufficient powers to carry out its duties. The Commission also highlighted weaknesses in Croatia’s penalty regime, noting that current laws do not fully meet EU standards on maximum fines, proportionality, and deterrence. In addition, there are gaps in provisions needed to penalize individuals who fail to cooperate or provide inaccurate information.
Croatia has been given two months to respond and address these concerns. If the response is deemed inadequate, the Commission may escalate the matter to the next stage of the infringement process by issuing a reasoned opinion, which could eventually lead to legal action.
The case underscores the importance of effective national enforcement in ensuring the success of EU-wide regulations. It demonstrates that adopting legislation alone is not sufficient, as gaps in institutional authority, enforcement powers, and penalty frameworks can weaken the implementation of the Digital Services Act across member states.
