Answer for question E-001868/25

EN E-001868/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission (27.6.2025) The Commission has published two calls for expression of interest1 2 with the aim of reaching 202 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) by the end of 20253. Their selection was done in compliance with the standard eligibility criteria4, according to the selection criteria specified in the calls. The staff working document published on 30 June 20245 contains the overview of costs to be incurred in 2025 to be covered by the supervisory fee pursuant to Article 43 of the Digital Services Act (DSA)6. The total costs for human resources in 2025 are estimated at EUR 29,21 million. This includes existing staff working on the DSA. Such costs are covered by external assigned revenues stemming from the supervisory fees charged in 2024 by the Commission on providers of very large online platforms (VLOPs) and of very large online search engines (VLOSEs), in line with Article 43 of the DSA. By 31 March of each year, the Commission reports in transparency to the European Parliament and the Council on FTEs and annual costs incurred for human resources in the previous year. The DSA aims to ensure that fundamental rights of users are protected online. The DSA does not regulate content nor individual content moderation decisions7. Rather, the DSA defines providers of online platforms’ responsibilities and mechanisms to mitigate risks, including preventing over-removal of lawful...