09 December 2025

The European Internet Forum hosted a policy debate on the role of simplification in the EU digital framework, focusing on the forthcoming Digital Omnibus. The discussion brought together representatives from the European Commission, industry, and EU agencies to assess how targeted regulatory simplification could support competitiveness while safeguarding fundamental rights. Exchanges centred on artificial intelligence, data protection, and cybersecurity, examining whether the proposed Omnibus can reduce complexity, address implementation challenges, and strengthen coherence across the digital acquis. The event provided a timely platform for reflection as the Commission advances its simplification agenda within the broader context of EU digital policy.

The role of simplification - the Digital Omnibus

 

Opening Remarks 

Pilar del Castillo underlined that the Digital Omnibus marked a shift from expectation to concrete legislative action, stressing its potential to enhance EU competitiveness. She positioned the proposal within the wider digital package, alongside the data union strategy and the European business wallet. She noted that the Omnibus aimed to consolidate the data acquis around the Data Act and the GDPR, while streamlining cybersecurity and AI rules. MEP del Castillo stressed the importance of preserving user rights to access industrial data and flagged open questions around transparency in AI training and the practical exercise of individual rights. She also highlighted the introduction of a single entry point for cybersecurity incident reporting as a key simplification measure.

The Commission’s Perspective

Lucilla Sioli explained that the proposed amendments to the AI Act were targeted technical adjustments aimed at easing implementation without lowering protection standards. She highlighted that the main change concerned delaying the application of high risk AI obligations due to the lack of available standards, while setting a clear end date to avoid indefinite postponement. She outlined complementary measures, including Commission guidelines, common specifications, and extended support for small mid cap companies. She also noted the removal of sanction based obligations on AI literacy in favour of encouragement and stronger innovation tools such as data reuse and sandboxes. On governance, she stressed the proposal to reinforce the role of the AI Office and better align conformity assessments with other sectoral legislation.

Industry views

Marisa Jimenez argued that while the Digital Omnibus signalled progress, it fell short of delivering the regulatory clarity and predictability required by industry. She emphasised that innovation was not yet sufficiently embedded as a guiding principle for regulators, potentially undermining AI investment in Europe. She acknowledged positive steps on governance and bias mitigation but pointed to continued uncertainty around timelines, fragmented implementation, and blurred responsibilities between AI model providers and deployers. She also questioned asymmetric obligations based on company size, arguing for consistent application of safety requirements under a risk based approach. On data protection, she welcomed clarifications on legitimate interest but recalled persistent complexity around cookies and consent.

Maarit Palovirta stressed that European telecom operators strongly supported simplification, citing the cumulative burden of EU legislation and regulatory fragmentation. She argued that this complexity increased costs and constrained investment in digital infrastructure. While welcoming the Digital Omnibus as a positive first step, she considered its impact on the telecom sector to be limited. She highlighted improvements related to GDPR application and AI training data, but noted unresolved overlaps with the e privacy framework. On cybersecurity, she supported the single reporting entry point but called for deeper alignment across EU and national security regimes to meaningfully reduce fragmentation.

ENISA's contribution

Konstantinos Ntantinos outlined ENISA’s work on implementing the cybersecurity elements of the Digital Omnibus, focusing on the development of a single entry point for incident reporting. He noted that cooperation with Member States was already underway, following a flexible approach that respected differing national systems. He indicated that the platform was expected to be operational by the end of 2026 and aimed to be both functional and practical. He acknowledged the complexity of aligning multiple notification regimes while maintaining high cybersecurity standards. He also pointed to the forthcoming review of the Cybersecurity Act as an opportunity for further progress.

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