Brussels, BELGIUM – As EU Member States meet tomorrow in Brussels for the Telecommunications Council, where they will discuss the European Commission’s recent Digital Omnibus proposal, the digital sector calls on national governments to act decisively.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA Europe) warns governments that failing to support and strengthen the Omnibus – the EU’s first serious attempt to simplify its complex digital rulebook – risks compounding Europe’s competitiveness problems.
On the eve of the ministerial meeting on EU competitiveness and regulatory simplification, CCIA Europe hosted its ‘Simplify EU Tech Rules: Unlock Innovation’ conference – bringing together global tech companies but also European founders and start-up CEOs to discuss the Omnibus. They concluded last night that past efforts to simplify EU tech rules have faltered due to political infighting, inconsistent implementation, and national gold-plating.
The new Digital Omnibus, however, is only a very first step. If Member States or the European Parliament disagree with the Commission’s modest set of fixes, they cannot simply set them aside, the Association stressed.
Europe’s co-legislators must recognise that failing to agree even on this Omnibus – the bare minimum – will further weaken the EU. Tech companies have shown tremendous patience in navigating today’s regulatory patchwork, but that patience has reached its limit.
The following can be attributed to CCIA Europe’s Senior Vice President & Head of Office, Daniel Friedlaender:
“The future of Europe’s digital competitiveness is now in the hands of Member States and the European Parliament. The Commission’s Omnibus is a modest first step, and far more simplification is still needed. But right now, Council and Parliament must ensure this first attempt at genuine simplification is neither dead on arrival, nor delivered too late.”
“Ultimately, these efforts must deliver the legal certainty and clarity that will allow tech innovators to scale here in Europe, so they can focus on exporting European innovation, instead of having to navigate EU red tape.”
“Beyond these discussions on the broader Digital Omnibus, it is equally important to emphasise that the AI-specific Omnibus can only be meaningful if adopted swiftly. Simplification measures related to the AI Act, including the crucial delay of up to 16 months for certain obligations, should be in place well before the entry into application of the high-risk AI rules in August 2026.”
