Roundtable on Chapter 23 – Digital Services in Albania within the framework of the accession negotiations – DSA Governance, Fundamental Rights, and Institutional Coordination, 30 June 2026

Gledis Gjipali, Executive Director of the European Movement in Albania (EMA), emphasised the importance of organising consultative roundtables on the implementation of European legislation in the field of digital services, underlining that this is an area affecting a large number of actors and institutions. He noted that, alongside the obligations arising from the new legislation, including the Digital Services Act (DSA) and other EU instruments currently being aligned, it is essential to establish a continuous dialogue between public institutions, regulatory authorities, the private sector, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders. He also emphasised that the  discussions held within the framework of the roundtable aim not only to interchange and identify challenges but also to draft a set of recommendations that will contribute to the process of consultation, information, and the implementation of the new legal framework.

Gentian Sala, Chairperson of the Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP), expressed his gratitude to the organisers for their cooperation and stressed that the European integration process confronts Albania with new challenges regarding the regulation of the digital space. He underlined that the internet and online platforms have become an inseparable part of daily life and economic development, while simultaneously creating significant challenges in protecting consumers and ensuring security. In this context, he emphasised that the European Union has built a new regulatory framework for online platforms, and Albania must prepare for its implementation. According to him, the challenges are related not only to institutional capacities and human resources but also to the complexity of the process, particularly for countries with more limited experience in this field. He pointed out that the implementation of the DSA cannot rely solely on state institutions but requires close cooperation with interest groups and robust inter-institutional coordination. In this regard, he presented some of AKEP’s current competences, such as domain administration, restricting internet access in cases stipulated by law, and cooperating with other institutions, including the Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA), the National Authority on Cyber Security (AKSK), the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Protection of Personal Data, and other competent authorities. He concluded by stressing the importance of prior consultations during the drafting of legislation, ensuring that practical challenges and needs are thoroughly addressed before the final framework is adopted.

Valbona Alikaj, Director of Legal Affairs at AKEP, presented the legal framework regulating the institution’s activities, focusing on Law No. 54/2024 on Electronic Communications, which aligns Albanian legislation with the European Electronic Communications Code and other EU instruments. She clarified that, although AKEP administers the infrastructure and services of electronic communications, the institution does not have a legal mandate to monitor online content, despite frequently receiving complaints from citizens. For this reason, she noted, cooperation with other authorities responsible for consumer protection, competition, personal data protection, national security, and child protection is essential. She explained that AKEP intervenes from a technical perspective, which includes the administration of domains and the restriction of access to fraudulent websites or domains used for phishing and financial fraud, particularly in cases where the names of public institutions are misused to deceive citizens. Subsequently, Alikaj addressed the challenges related to the transposition of the Digital Services Act (DSA), emphasising that this instrument increases the responsibility of online platforms and aims to strengthen user security and trust, with a particular focus on the protection of minors. She highlighted that one of the primary issues remains the designation of the Digital Services Coordinator in Albania, raising the debate on whether this role should be entrusted to an existing authority or a newly established structure. In this framework, she outlined the criteria set by the DSA for this authority, including institutional independence, financial autonomy, human capacities, and technical expertise. Furthermore, she elaborated on the role of “trusted flaggers”, the Coordinator’s competences regarding monitoring, investigation, reporting, and imposing sanctions, as well as the critical importance of inter-institutional cooperation for the effective implementation of the legislation.

Altin Petre, Advisor at AKEP, addressed the Digital Services Act from a practical perspective, noting that for almost every right the DSA seeks to protect, there is already a competent authority at the national level. Nevertheless, he pointed out that the digital environment creates new challenges, as online content is often published on platforms that are not the original authors, raising questions about the responsibilities and the regulatory approach for these actors. According to him, the DSA specifically aims to address this gap by establishing clear rules and responsibilities for online platforms, even when they are not the creators of the content. He further emphasised that regulating the digital space is more complex than regulating the physical world, as the internet does not recognise state borders and necessitates new mechanisms of cooperation. In this regard, he underlined the need for substantial investments in human resources, technical expertise, and technological infrastructure, both for sectoral authorities and for the future Digital Services Coordinator. Drawing upon the experience of the European Union, he cited the capacities built by the European Commission, including specialised teams and cooperation with major technological companies such as Apple and Meta, as effective models aimed at strengthening the protection of citizens’ rights in the digital space.

Michaela Vanišová presented the main findings of the policy paper “Digital Services Act: Challenges and Opportunities for Albania”, drafted within the framework of the Partnership Platform for European Integration (PPEI). She emphasised that the document analyses Albania’s current legal and institutional framework in relation to the requirements of the Digital Services Act (DSA), highlighting existing gaps, transposition and implementation challenges, as well as the best practices followed by EU Member States. The presentation focused on the need to determine an appropriate institutional model for coordinating the implementation of the DSA, strengthening inter-institutional cooperation, and building administrative and technical capacities. She also reiterated the importance of continuous consultation with public institutions, civil society, academia, and the private sector throughout the harmonisation process with the European Union acquis. The paper was presented as a discussion document, which intends to support the ongoing debate and to formulate concrete recommendations for the successful transposition and implementation of the DSA in Albania.

*This roundtable took place within the framework of the “Building Partnership on Fundamentals: Empowered CSOs in the EU  accession process” project, with the financial support of the European Union – IPA Civil Society Facility 2021, which is implemented by the European Movement in Albania and in cooperation with the Academy of European Integration and Negotiations (AIEN), Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA) and the Center for Transparency and Freedom of Information (CTFI).