Madrid, September 12, 2025 – Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) has welcomed the new responsibility to oversee digital services and media, but has warned that it lacks the necessary resources to carry out the expanded mandate.
The draft bill for improving democratic governance in digital services and media oversight transposes the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) into Spanish law.
Under the reforms, the CNMC will act as Spain’s Digital Services Coordinator and as the independent supervisory authority for media services.
While the CNMC said it values these designations, it stressed that the draft bill does not sufficiently provide for the organizational and human resources needed to implement its new functions. The regulator urged the government to establish mechanisms to ensure the Commission is properly equipped to fulfil its expanded mandate.
The CNMC stated that the proposed legislation does not pose unjustified restrictions on competition. However, it recommended fine-tuning several aspects of the law to improve its effectiveness, including:
- clarifying certain definitions and functions,
- strengthening procedures for inspections, precautionary measures, and commitments, and
- ensuring full incorporation of the EMFA into Spanish law through amendments to both the LGCA and LCNMC.
The watchdog highlighted the importance of independent oversight in both the digital and media sectors, stressing that any new powers granted must be backed by adequate capacity to act.
Source: https://www.cnmc.es/prensa/gobernanza-democratica-20250912?back=news
