The Digital Omnibus proposal has been launched as a first step to optimise the overall application of the digital rulebook.
The Digital Omnibus proposal was developed in order to include a set of technical amendments to a large corpus of digital legislation, selected to bring immediate relief to businesses, public administrations, and citizens alike, as well as to stimulate competitiveness. The proposal also includes significant amendments to multiple already existing regulations, including the Data Act, GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, and the AI Act.
It also represents a first step to optimise the overall application of the digital rulebook. The immediate objective is set on the process of ensuring that compliance with the rules comes at a lower cost, delivers on the same objectives, while also bringing in itself a competitive advantage to responsible businesses.
The European Union may reduce digital regulation, with the goal of boosting local technology companies. The EU has lagged behind in AI investments, and has been known for restrictive regulations on site usage, under the GDPR regulation.
Proposals in the Digital Omnibus
The EU will submit its Digital Omnibus to the European Parliament and the Council, as the simplification agenda is expected to continue with a consultation period, the Digital Fitness Check, open until March 11, 2026.
The main fear is that the EU may delay the growth of AI by placing too strict regulations on new AI systems, as the current proposal is to grant a grace period of 16 months before considering restrictions. The new regulations are expected to streamline the reporting of cybersecurity incidents, with the most contentious point being on easing of data protection regulations to accelerate and facilitate the training of AI models.
With this in mind, the Commission presented its Digital Omnibus, easing both access to data and the business side of operating a company in the EU. The proposal is still set to need the approval of European governments to come into force, as the EU has extended its string of deregulation attempts in a process that tries to catch up with digital growth.
According to the official press release, the amendments will focus on unlocking opportunities in the use of data, as a fundamental resource in the EU economy, not least in view of supporting the development and leverage of trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in the EU market. At the same time, targeted amendments to the data protection and privacy rules will support this objective and are set to provide immediate simplification measures for businesses and individuals, strengthening their ability to exercise their rights.
In addition, the amendments to the Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (the Artificial Intelligence Act10), were presented in a separate legal proposal part of the Digital Omnibus, and it will seek to facilitate the smooth and effective application of the rules for safe and trustworthy development and use of AI. The Digital Omnibus also proposes a very clear and secure solution for streamlining cybersecurity incident reporting, while also bringing under the umbrella of a single reporting mechanism all related reporting obligations.
Finally, the proposal also repeals outdated rules in the area of platform regulation, which were superseded by more recent regulations. The amendments will seek to streamline the rules, while also reducing the number of laws and harmonising provisions, as they cut administrative costs by simplifying provisions and procedures. Through the process of streamlining compliance processes, the proposal intends to lower costs for companies, particularly startups, allowing them to accelerate their growth initiatives without facing excessive red tape. The amendments were also designed to improve the clarity and consistency of legal requirements across member states, while facilitating easier compliance for several companies operating in multiple jurisdictions.
Furthermore, they stimulate opportunities for an optimised business environment, aiming to deliver more legal certainty and opportunities, in particular in the procedure of sharing and re-using data, in processing personal data, or training Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and models.
At the same time, the proposed amendments are set to remain technical in their nature, seeking to adjust the regulatory framework, but not to amend its underlying objectives. Furthermore, the measures are set to be calibrated in order to preserve the same standard for the protection of fundamental rights.
