My first reaction to the Commission’s Digital Omnibus is that this is a good start. Now it will be a test of whether European lawmakers, the Parliament and the Council, can keep the focus straight and make these much needed changes a reality, and quickly.
👉 Deregulation does not automatically mean weaker rights. Aligning with court rulings and removing overlaps, contradictions and pointless red tape can strengthen protections if it makes obligations easier to understand and enforce. Much of the criticism of the #GDPR has focused on slow, uneven enforcement. We should keep strong privacy and consumer protection – but make it possible for European SMEs and mid-caps to use data and comply, while stepping up real enforcement against big tech and repeat offenders.
👉 Here the Commission’s proposal ticks the right boxes by enabling more use of anonymous data and easing up on cookie rules. Consolidating four pieces of data legislation alongside may become a welcome simplification but will need to be assessed as to how it helps European companies first and foremost.
📌 On AI, the Omnibus is a start: a stronger, better-staffed AI Office should make enforcement more predictable, and a “stop the clock” can give time to develop standards and clear pathways to compliance developed by experts as industry best practice. The ongoing “Apply AI” strategy and internal Commission work should not come at the expense of doing their job and providing legal certainty on how AI rules interact with sectoral legislation. Where possible, AI-specific rules should be built into sectoral law instead of creating new bottlenecks for AI uptake.
👆 As a final point: I spent today at Slush in Helsinki talking to founders and investors. Their energy and optimism about Europe is contagious. We should match that in Brussels – using this Omnibus and others, and making the 28th regime a regulation not a directive to remove barriers to growth, help companies scale across borders and show that European rules can both protect and empower people. ❗
