Zagreb - The Parliament's Committee on Information, Computerisation and Media on Wednesday endorsed a bill on the Implementation of the EU Digital Services Act, which is aimed at preventing illegal online activities and disinformation.
The purpose of the Digital Services Act, applying to all online platforms since 17 February, is to prevent unlawful and harmful online activities and dissemination of misinformation. The document applies to all providers of digital services acting as intermediaries between consumers and what they buy via online platforms (goods, services, content).
Bernard Gršić, State Secretary at the Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation Ministry, said that the government had designated the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) as the coordinator for digital services, with the new law defining also other bodies in charge of implementing the EU regulation.
"This legislative framework will enable greater control on the Internet as users will have better information as to why certain content is recommended to them, and it will significantly improve the removal of unlawful content as soon as possible," Gršić said.
The Digital Services Act defines a number of new obligations for providers of digital services, harmonised at the EU level and carefully calibrated in relation to the size and reach of the providers of services it applies to, as well as rules for the removal of illegal online content, goods or services.
As regards very large platforms, the European Commission will have the authority of direct supervision, and in the most serious cases, fines can be imposed amounting to up to 6% of total global sales.
MP on HRT's operations: Money was not spent in line with Public Procurement Act
The Committee on Information, Computerisation and Media also endorsed a report on the operation of the HRT public broadcaster in 2022, which was criticised by opposition MPs.
SDP MP Mirela Ahmetović commented on the part of the report concerning an audit of the business cooperation of the Ro.Ba.Go company, co-owned by Robert Šveb before he was appointed HRT director, and the public broadcaster, and the HRT's business cooperation with the Croatel company.
"An audit determined that money was not spent in line with the Public Procurement Act. The HRT Supervisory Board is obliged to supervise the HRT's operations and compliance with the law, which was not the case here," Ahmetović said, wondering why the HRT Supervisory Board did not exercise its powers and launch the procedure to have Šveb replaced.
Ahmetović also referred to a report on an audit of the HRT's business relationship with Croatel on a deal worth around €1 million, for which, she said, no adequate public procurement procedure had been conducted.
"What more does the Supervisory Board need to start doing its job and launch the procedure to replace the director under the HRT Act? You are not doing your job," Ahmetović said.
HRT Supervisory Board deputy head Damir Rudeš replied that "it is not easy to describe a legal situation exclusively with 'a plus or a minus'," and that it had taken a lot of time to establish facts in the allegedly disputable operations of Ro.Ba.Go and Alcatel.
The parliamentary committee also endorsed a report on the work of the HRT Programming Council for 2023 and the Bill on State Information Infrastructure.