Ahead of the COREPER meeting, industry coalition calls for meaningful simplification in the digital omnibus

Ahead of the COREPER vote taking place this week, FEDMA has co-signed a joint industry letter led by the European Tech Alliance (EUTA), alongside 15 European associations representing the European digital economy.

The coalition supports the objective of reducing regulatory burden and that getting the amendments right matters more than getting it done quickly.

Balanced approach on key issues

FEDMA welcomes the exclusion of browser-level cookie consent (Article 88b), which would have risked concentrating control in a small number of gatekeepers and weakening direct relationships with users.

At the same time, concerns remain regarding the removal of legitimate interest as a legal basis for AI training. A workable, GDPR-compliant legal basis is essential to support innovation and ensure access to diverse, high-quality data.

Need for clarity on GDPR scope

The proposed Article 29a risks creating uncertainty as to when data falls within the scope of the GDPR, instead of confirming clear boundaries aligned with existing CJEU case law. For the data marketing sector, such clarity is essential to enable responsible use of data for, amongst other, innovation.