CNMC and AEPD sign cooperation agreement for the digital sphere

The National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) and the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) have formalized a cooperation and collaboration agreement to ensure a consistent application of digital regulations in Spain. The agreement was signed on June 9, 2026, and its text is published in the Official State Gazette number 215, of September 1, 2026, by means of the Resolution of August 26, 2026, of the Undersecretariat of the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts (reference BOE-A-2026-18409).

The agreement was signed by the president of the CNMC, Cani Fernández Vicién, and the president of the AEPD, Lorenzo Cotino Hueso, in Madrid. Its objective is to seek reciprocal collaboration for the correct application of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 on Digital Services, Law 34/2002 on information society services, the General Audiovisual Communication Law 13/2022 (LGCA), and the General Telecommunications Law 11/2022 (LGTel), without prejudice to the own competencies of each body.

A framework for the coordination of two authorities

The CNMC acts as the Digital Services Coordinator in Spain, designated by the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service, and is responsible for supervising compliance with the Digital Services Act. The AEPD, for its part, has been designated as the competent authority regarding personal data protection in relation to that same regulation, in addition to exercising the functions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Organic Law 3/2018.

The agreement responds to the provisions of Article 49.2 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, which requires digital services coordinators to cooperate closely with other national competent authorities. Among the commitments, the following stand out:

• Foster a culture of cooperation and information exchange between both bodies.
• Share early-stage drafts of documents, reports, or publications of mutual interest.
• Collaborate in the early detection of behaviors that may breach the Digital Services Act.
• Establish an agile channel for the transfer of complaints and action orders regarding illegal content.
• Pay special attention to services aimed at or predominantly used by minors.

A joint monitoring commission

The supervision of the agreement corresponds to a joint Monitoring Commission, composed of three representatives from the CNMC and three from the AEPD, whose presidency will alternate annually between both bodies. Its functions include promoting collaboration possibilities, resolving interpretation and compliance issues, supervising the execution of the agreement, and proposing modifications.

The agreement is administrative in nature, is governed by Law 40/2015, of October 1, and is excluded from the scope of Law 9/2017 on Public Sector Contracts. Its term is four years, extendable by unanimous agreement for a maximum of four additional years, and it entails no financial obligations for the parties, who shall bear the cost of the activities with their own resources.

Relevance for the digital ecosystem

The agreement strengthens coordination between two key authorities in the regulation of the Spanish digital environment, at a time when the supervision of platforms, data protection, and competition converge in the same markets. For citizens and companies, it means greater consistency in the application of rules and a more agile response to non-compliance in digital services, electronic communications, and audiovisual content.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 215, September 1, 2026, Sec. III, page 118107 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-18409).