The European Commission’s new digital package seeks to simplify life for European businesses — from factories to start-ups — and strengthen their ability to innovate and compete globally. Explore how MEPs and industry leaders are reacting to the proposal.
EPP: Simplify EU digital rules to boost innovation
Brussels, 19 November 2025
The EPP Group welcomes the Commission’s new digital package as a critical boost for Europe’s industrial competitiveness. By streamlining digital rules through the Digital Omnibus, introducing a secure European Business Wallet, and laying the foundations of a European Data Union, the package strengthens Europe’s capacity to innovate and produce in a global market under pressure, while continuing to protect citizens’ data.
“Europe cannot afford a digital rulebook that drains time, talent, and opportunity. The Digital Omnibus is our chance to make laws work like a jigsaw: efficient, consistent, and agile. We need to ensure coherence and eliminate legal overlap. Every euro spent ticking a box is a euro not spent on innovation”, said Eva Maydell MEP, the EPP Group’s vice spokeswoman in Parliament’s Industry Committee.
The EPP Group is ready to update important rules like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the ePrivacy Directive, and the Artificial Intelligence Act so that they work better in today’s digital world. This includes reducing the burden on users by addressing cookie fatigue and making online navigation less cumbersome, so that transparency comes with a more pleasant experience.
“We believe that making targeted improvements to the key rules will give everyone more clarity – for example, by better explaining what counts as personal data. Updated rules should also make it easier to understand how data can be used responsibly to train AI systems. Crucially, the Digital Omnibus will also bring much-needed order to Europe’s maze of data rules, making the framework more coherent, easier to understand, and far more workable for both people and businesses“, said Lena Düpont MEP, the EPP Group’s Spokeswoman on Home Affairs.
The EPP Group urges swift adoption by Parliament and Council to give European industry the clarity, scale, and digital tools needed to remain a global leader.
S&Ds: Don’t deregulate and weaken the EU’s digital legal framework that protects people
Brussels, 19 November 2025
Today, the European Commission published the Digital Omnibus which aims to change the EU’s digital legal framework including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), e-Privacy Directive, the Free Flow of Non-Personal Data Regulation, the NIS 2 Directive, the AI Act, the Data Act, the Data Governance Act (DGA), and the eIDAS Regulation.
The S&D Group is committed to simplifying laws to make the lives of citizens and businesses easier, but we will not support a deregulation agenda that would recklessly undermine the EU’s digital legal framework. The EU’s digital policy and data protection rules have been carefully and democratically constructed representing a coherent and human-centric approach to the digital economy. Together, they safeguard fundamental rights, enhance trust, and foster innovation across the EU.
MEP Alex Agius Saliba, vice-president of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, said:
“Two important issues are at stake with the Commission’s Digital Omnibus exercise. Firstly, the unacceptable deregulation and weakening of the EU’s digital rules such as data protection, AI and cybersecurity. These policies have been put in place democratically to protect our businesses, people and their data. Rather than weakening the EU’s digital rules, we should enforce them and focus the Digital Omnibus on improving coherence, transparency and regulatory guidance without undermining the level of protection achieved so far.
“Secondly, the EU’s leadership in tech legislation – this is more important than ever considering the current geopolitical context where Big Tech companies and Trump are openly challenging our rules and regulations. We need to continue implementing our rules and protect our digital sovereignty, but also continue to inspire international partners in shaping their digital legislation.
“We need to ensure that the Digital Omnibus reinforces, rather than undermines, the integrity of the EU’s digital legal framework. Simplification and coherence should serve the Union’s long-term strategic vision for a competitive, secure and rights-based digital economy rather than short-term deregulatory goals.”
Renew Europe on Digital Omnibus: protecting rights and securing innovation can go hand in hand
In the interest of Europe’s common good and competitiveness, Liberals and Democrats support efforts to simplify and modernise the European Union’s digital framework with the new Digital Omnibus. However, simplification cannot come at the expense of the safeguards that protect Europeans’ privacy, data and fundamental rights.
The package, as signaled so far, raises important concerns. These include the possible weakening of central GDPR principles, reduced protection for sensitive data and the creation of broad new exemptions that could allow intrusive tracking or discriminatory profiling. Suggested adjustments to the AI Act should also be scrutinised carefully to ensure that we focus on simplifying its functioning without diminishing its policy objectives.
Thanks to considerable pressure from Liberals and Democrats sent in a letter to Commission President von der Leyen last week, we are delighted that the Commission’s proposal no longer changes the definition of sensitive data, which risked opening the door to inferred sensitive data processing.
Renew Europe will support changes in the Digital Omnibus that will make life easier for our European companies. For instance, today one incident might trigger many reporting obligations. With the single platform to report on, we free up time and resource to handle the incident.
Bringing the different non-personal data laws together under the Data Act also gives young companies a simpler and more predictable framework to build new services. We back these changes because they remove real obstacles without touching the protections people rely on.
Christophe Grudler MEP, Renew Europe Coordinator on the Industry and Energy Committee, said:
“Bringing together our European rules on non-personal data into a single ‘Data Act’ is real progress. And the new one-stop shop for cyber incident notifications is another good step forward. But simplification must not lead to weakening. Data is a strategic asset: we will ensure it remains accessible for our SMEs, useful for public policy, and a driver of Europe’s digital sovereignty.”
Svenja Hahn MEP, Renew Europe Coordinator on the Internal Market Committee, reflected:
“The Digital Omnibus provides much needed simplification of existing digital legislation. It is important that this Omnibus clarifies the interplay of the AI Act with other existing legislation. At the same time, it must lay the groundwork to cut red tape and boost our digital economic growth, so that Europe can become the leading AI and innovation hub in the world. At the same time defending citizen’s rights remains at the core of our digital legislation.”
Fabienne Keller MEP, Renew Europe Coordinator on the Civil Liberties Committee, said:
“We fully support the simplification agenda, we need to boost Europe’s competitiveness and innovation in Europe. But simplification must not be done at the expense of our privacy standards and must not weaken the protection of our fundamental rights. Some of the provisions are concerning, eroding key principles of GDPR: some will weaken the protection of our most sensitive data, and lead to more discriminatory processing for instance. We should keep protecting privacy under this digital omnibus.”
Renew Europe will work to ensure that the final package eases unnecessary burdens while remaining firmly anchored in Europe’s core values. A confident and innovative digital Europe is fully achievable when rights and innovation advance together.
Greens/EFA call for digital enforcement – not a blank cheque for Big Tech
Brussels, 19 November 2025
On Wednesday, the European Commission will present its Digital Omnibus proposal, promoted as a simplification of EU digital rules. In reality, it risks reopening and weakening flagship achievements such as the GDPR, the AI Act and the Data Act, while echoing the deregulatory agenda of Big Tech.
Instead of creating uncertainty and loopholes, Europe should strengthen enforcement and provide clearer guidance through an independent Digital Enforcement Agency that can deliver coherent and effective expert oversight across digital spaces.
Greens/EFA MEP Kim van Sparrentak comments:
“It is disappointing to see the European Commission cave under the pressure of the Trump administration and Big Tech lobbies. By putting our digital acquis up for discussion the EU risks rolling out the red carpet to a business model based on stolen data, hype and zero regard for human rights or the planet. This model has nothing to do with competitiveness or innovation, this is about exploitation.
“If the EU really wants to be a front runner in innovation, we need to keep course and deliver on our promises: safe, privacy-friendly and energy-efficient technology, that’s what I call innovation. Real simplification is helping businesses with clearer guidance, clarity, helpdesks and consistent enforcement. Think of having one Digital Enforcement Agency for the largest companies or strategic investment in European technologies. For legal clarity, the upcoming Digital Fairness Act will provide a great opportunity to align rights and obligations in the digital acquis.
Greens/EFA and Pirate Party MEP Markéta Gregorová comments:
“The Digital Omnibus leak reveals that the Commission has been working on a much more far reaching plan that it had announced. Yet, the Commission is not planning to undertake an impact assessment. This raises serious doubts about its capacity to properly consider the implications for the enforcement of our fundamental rights.
“I am surprised and concerned that the GDPR is being reopened and weakened at its core, including on the definition of what personal data is. The potential changes that would allow greater flexibility for AI training are particularly troubling, as they could open the door to the use of personal and sensitive data without sufficient safeguards. Our fundamental rights must carry more weight than financial interests. The same applies to any attempt to weaken the current rules on cookies and integrity of our terminals, which rely on user consent as their cornerstone.”
CCIA* on the Digital Omnibus: Simplification of EU tech rules requires bolder action
The European Commission’s long-awaited Digital Omnibus simplification package, unveiled today, is a welcome step towards simplifying the EU’s complex regulatory landscape for digital and tech. Yet its narrow focus – mainly limited to AI, cybersecurity, data rules, and privacy – means further and bolder action is still needed.
While commending the Commission’s intent to reduce regulatory burden and overlap, the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA Europe) stresses that this package must only be the starting point for deeper reform of the EU’s digital rulebook. Major challenges previously identified by CCIA Europe remain unresolved, including continued friction across the digital ecosystem from the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act.
Today’s key measures include clarified rules on the interaction between artificial intelligence and data protection under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and a delay of “up to” 16 months for certain AI Act obligations due to late guidance and standards that are still missing. However, if the Commission deems the technical specifications available earlier than expected, companies may be left with only six to 12 months to achieve compliance.
The adjustments to the AI Act provide companies with more realistic timelines. Unfortunately, the Omnibus misses critical opportunities to raise the outdated compute threshold for identifying AI models which pose a ‘systemic risk’, and fails to fix problematic wording on the extraterritoriality of copyright provisions, which conflicts with EU and international principles.
CCIA Europe also welcomes efforts to clarify the interplay between data protection, AI, and cybersecurity. But it warns that innovation depends on principle-based legislation, not GDPR changes introducing overly prescriptive rules on consent or objection. A more balanced approach is needed to safeguard users and enable innovators to develop new technologies.
The proposal for a single portal for cyber-incident reporting is a modest improvement, but falls short of delivering the unified cybersecurity framework the EU really needs. The Commission should go further to eliminate duplication in order to strengthen Europe’s resilience. Without aligned definitions, reporting thresholds, and security obligations across cyber legislation, a single portal will only centralise fragmentation – instead of fixing it.
CCIA Europe’s Head of Policy and Deputy Head of Office, Alexandre Roure, said
“Today’s Digital Omnibus is a promising first step towards simplifying EU tech rules. But its narrow scope leaves much of the EU’s patchwork untouched. Unprecedented regulatory complexity and legal uncertainty act as a direct tax on Europe’s competitiveness and innovation. Efforts to simplify digital and tech rules cannot stop here.”
“CCIA Europe looks forward to the Commission moving into a higher gear with a more ambitious, all-encompassing review of the EU’s entire digital rulebook, and urges Member States and the European Parliament to back even bolder simplification measures.”
“While the Commission has made progress on AI and should be commended for acknowledging the damage of regulatory overreach, significant gaps in the AI Act remain. Across Europe, AI developers and deployers need clarity, and they need it fast. We therefore urge co-legislators to support the Commission by speeding up the legislative process.”
* About CCIA Europe: The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) is an international, not-for-profit association representing a broad cross section of computer, communications, and internet industry firms. As an advocate for a thriving European digital economy, CCIA Europe has been actively contributing to EU policy making since 2009.
BDI on the Digital Omnibus: Not the team bus we hoped for, but also not the compact car we feared
In response to the Digital Omnibus presented today by the European Commission, Wolfgang Niedermark, Member of the Executive Board of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), states: “The Digital Omnibus is not the team bus we hoped for, but also not the compact car we feared.”
“The Digital Omnibus is not the team bus we hoped for, but also not the compact car we feared. Unfortunately, it still does not provide the predictability and simplicity that companies need to implement digital requirements. Measures to reduce bureaucracy for digital infrastructure and cybersecurity are almost entirely absent. The European Parliament and the Council must not fall behind the Commission’s level of ambition in the upcoming negotiations, and should conclude the talks swiftly. Europe’s digital legislation must become comprehensible and practical. Excessive bureaucracy must no longer slow down our companies in the innovation race.
With regard to the adjustments to the AI Act, the Commission has not delivered sufficiently. Our companies need reliable guidance and sufficient time to implement complex requirements — especially as long as harmonised standards are lacking. It is positive that the application of the rules for high-risk AI is to be postponed by up to 16 months and will only apply once the necessary standards and support instruments are actually available. This is a step towards greater planning certainty. Nonetheless, a general extension of the AI Act’s implementation deadlines for already regulated applications and high-risk AI by two years would give companies the urgently needed legal and planning certainty.
In cybersecurity regulation, further relief is necessary. A harmonised EU-wide reporting system under NIS2 would be a step forward, but overall reporting and notification obligations must be significantly simplified so that companies can focus their resources on prevention and defence.
In data protection, the Commission sets the right tone with greater clarity and workable requirements. This strengthens transparency and creates space for data-driven innovation. To ensure that AI benefits our industry, we need data for training — and this must be possible with legal certainty. Improvements to the Data Act — especially concerning the protection of trade secrets — are a move in the right direction, but must be further strengthened as the legislative process continues.”
Disclaimer: E-translated by ChatGPT, prompted by Insight EU. This English translation is provided for informational purposes only. In the event of any discrepancies or legal interpretations, the original German version shall prevail and is the only legally binding text.
VDMA** statement on the EU’s Digital Omnibus: The AI Act, the Data Act and the Cyber Resilience Act must be fundamentally revised!
Frankfurt/Brussels, 19 November 2025 – On the European Commission’s Digital Omnibus, VDMA Director-General Thilo Brodtmann says:
“It is a first step in the right direction that the Digital Omnibus addresses three laws simultaneously – the AI Act, the Data Act and the General Data Protection Regulation – thereby providing initial relief for industry. However, this is not enough to safeguard the competitiveness of Europe as a digital location. There is a lack of courage to take account of geo-economic realities, review key elements of EU digital legislation, and reduce bureaucracy in a meaningful way.”
“Companies must be freed from excessive reporting obligations, double regulation and legal uncertainty. To achieve this, the AI Act and the Data Act should be fundamentally revised. In its current form, the Data Act endangers companies’ know-how, as trade secrets are not sufficiently protected. A restriction to consumer products, by contrast, would strengthen entrepreneurial freedom and encourage digital innovation.”
“It remains problematic that the Cyber Resilience Act is to remain unchanged in the Digital Omnibus, despite its technical shortcomings. Particularly critical is the planned simplification of reporting channels for IT security incidents: under no circumstances may this contradict established national procedures. Clear rules are needed on how existing processes are either fully replaced or seamlessly integrated, in order to avoid duplicate structures and legal uncertainty.”
“What matters now is that the Council and the European Parliament swiftly adopt the proposals that will provide initial relief for businesses. The proposed technical amendments should give little reason for controversial debate. Afterwards, the chosen path must be pursued with greater courage, so that companies can find their way out of the regulatory jungle.”
**VDMA stands for the German Mechanical and Plant Engineering Association.
Disclaimer: E-translated by ChatGPT, prompted by Insight EU. This English translation is provided for informational purposes only. In the event of any discrepancies or legal interpretations, the original German version shall prevail and is the only legally binding text.
MITTELSTANDSVERBUND***: Digital Omnibus – a starting signal, not a breakthrough
The Digital Omnibus presented by the European Commission on 19 November sends important initial signals towards simplifying the EU’s digital rulebook. From the perspective of the MITTELSTANDSVERBUND, however, the reform proposal falls short of expectations for genuine relief for medium-sized companies in the digital context.
The European Union recognises the urgent need to make its digital regulatory framework more practical. Especially for medium-sized businesses, every step toward clearer, more harmonised and less contradictory rules is progress.
“The Digital Omnibus shows that the EU has found the courage to streamline. We explicitly welcome this,” says Dr Henning Bergmann, Chief Executive Officer of DER MITTELSTANDSVERBUND. “But for medium-sized businesses, the proposal so far brings more light than impact.”
DER MITTELSTANDSVERBUND takes a positive view of the Commission’s first serious attempt to consolidate overlapping provisions and reduce incoherent rules — for example by integrating the current ePrivacy Directive into the GDPR. Aligning data protection with the latest developments in artificial intelligence can, in the long run, help implement innovative, data-driven business models more easily and with greater legal certainty. This sends an important signal for Europe as an AI hub and facilitates the cooperation that is crucial for medium-sized companies.
At the same time, it becomes clear that the Digital Omnibus does not yet create tangible day-to-day relief for cooperative medium-sized enterprises. Only part of the digital acquis is actually addressed. Major uncertainties — such as those surrounding the scope of application of the AI Act — remain.
For the cooperative Mittelstand, this means: the Digital Omnibus does not go far enough. It points in the right direction but becomes too cautious at the decisive moment. “Especially in the field of AI regulation, we had expected more courage — while the expansion of exemptions, particularly for SMEs and small mid-caps, is helpful, it provides only limited relief as long as the scope of application remains unclear,” Bergmann emphasises.
Practical, workable rules are needed so that small and medium-sized enterprises can confidently use the potential of modern data and AI technologies without getting stuck in the thicket of divergent European digital rules.
“We therefore appeal to the European legislators not to squander the emerging reform momentum. Europe needs a legal framework that enables — rather than hinders — innovation, and that gives medium-sized businesses in particular certainty, speed and real relief,” Bergmann says.
***DER MITTELSTANDSVERBUND – ZGV e.V. is the umbrella association of the German economy representing, in Berlin and Brussels, the interests of around 230,000 medium-sized companies organised in some 300 cooperative groups.
Disclaimer: E-translated by ChatGPT, prompted by Insight EU. This English translation is provided for informational purposes only. In the event of any discrepancies or legal interpretations, the original German version shall prevail and is the only legally binding text.
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