European coalition calls on the Council to not rush the Digital Omnibus but to get it right

Coalition of Europe’s media, marketing and tech sectors urges Council to ensure genuine simplification in the Digital Omnibus

A coalition of European associations today urged the Council to take the necessary time to ensure that the Digital Omnibus delivers on its core objective: effective simplification that strengthens privacy protection while supporting competitive and innovative European businesses.

In an open letter sent on the 22^nd of May to the Cypriot Council Presidency and all Permanent Representations, the signatories highlight that both the Letta and Draghi reports identified the urgent need to simplify EU legislation, explicitly pointing to the GDPR’s legal complexity and the fragmentation caused by divergent national interpretations. The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus proposal is an attempt toward “optimising the application of the EU digital rulebook,” but the coalition warns that the current pace of negotiations risks undermining this objective.

The letter notes that “a rushed procedure limits Member States’ ability to comprehensively and carefully assess these implications,” potentially missing the opportunity to fix long‑standing shortcomings and unintentionally creating new burdens and legal uncertainties.

The signatories stress that simplification, business viability and high levels of privacy protection are not opposing goals. On the contrary, clear, simple, harmonised and technology‑neutral rules are essential for responsible and ethical compliance across sectors.

The coalition calls on the Council and Member States to:

• Ensure sufficient time to fully assess the implications of each proposed measure and amendment in the Digital Omnibus; and
• Maintain a clear focus on effective simplification, while safeguarding sustainable business models and strong privacy protections.

The signatories reaffirm their readiness to support the Council’s work and contribute to a simplified, sustainable and coherent approach to Europe’s digital regulatory framework.