As the European Commission prepares to simplify digital rules with a new omnibus plan due to be presented on Wednesday, Berlin pulled out the red carpet in a glitzy summit dedicated to digital sovereignty.
“I’m very curious about what tomorrow will bring. Hopefully it’s a big bold step in the right direction,” said German Minister for Digital Transformation Karsten Wildberger on a panel at the Berlin gathering.
The European Commission has been working for months on a new proposal to “simplify” rules, reduce administrative burden for companies, in particular SMEs, which struggle to comply with complex EU rules, to keep talent in Europe and stay competitive in a global race.
The Commission, supported by France and Germany, hopes that the digital simplification plan that will be announced on Wednesday, after months of negotiations, will “save billions of euros and boost innovation”.
Still, the push text has been met with scepticism among the progressive forces of the European Parliament and civil society, citing a dismantling of protections.
The text proposes amending the rules on data protection and the recently adopted AI Act.
According to a draft version, the rules for “high-risk AI systems”, AI technologies used for sensitive purposes such as analysing CVs, evaluating school exams or loan applications, which were originally scheduled to take effect in August 2026, are now expected to be delayed until December 2027. The European Commission cites difficulties in establishing the necessary standards as the reason for the postponement.
Under the original text, the classification of the system as “high-risk” would have been evaluated by a national authority. The leaked draft, which is still to be officially approved, suggests that this provision would now be replaced by a simple self-assessment, potentially weakening the safeguards intended to ensure compliance with the rules.
Anne Le Hénanff, French minister for AI and digital affairs, said during the Berlin summit that she supports the postponement.
“The AI Act now comes with too many uncertainties. These uncertainties are slowing our own ability to innovate,” Le Hénanff said. “The United States and China are leading the way in the AI race. We simply cannot afford to hinder our companies’ ability to innovate.”
Germany’s Wildberger said that his country also supports a delay, adding that “it’s important to continue this conversation because the world is moving so fast that we have to continuously rework the rules.”
Wildberger said he prefers a “learn-by-mistakes” approach.
“We do not rule out ex ante all the risks. Let’s first build the products, and then take very seriously how these products work – that they are safe, that we have the right processes in place,” he added.
Resistance from the Parliament to open damaging Pandora’s box
Still, members of the European Parliament fear that the Commission’s proposal will open “pandora’s box”, increase risks for consumers and ultimately benefit US Big Tech.
MEPs consulted by Euronews who did not wish to be named as the Commission’s plan is not yet official and talks are ongoing.
They suggested Big Tech companies have been dragging their feet to avoid complying with the current rules and have paid more than ever in lobbying.
Members of the European Parliament from political groups ranging from the traditional majority, which includes The Left and centrist-liberal Renew, have already signalled their intention to vote against the proposal.
Other provisions include exemptions from reporting obligations for smaller companies, or the delay in the labelling of AI-generated content until 2027. Recently, deep fakes created with AI disturbed the Irish presidential elections with viral AI video depicting a fake version the presidential candidate Catherine Connolly saying she was withdrawing from the race.
Another part of the omnibus focuses on simplifying the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It aims to make it easier to access data for training AI models, reduce the number of cookies displayed to users, and harmonise GDPR implementation across all member states. At present, national authorities interpret data protection obligations differently, which can lead to inconsistencies.
Online rights advocates believe that the omnibus overreaches its mandate to the point of undermining fundamental rights.
A letter signed by three major NGOs and addressed to Commissioner Henna Virkkunen reads, “the legislative changes now contemplated go far beyond mere simplification. They would deregulate core elements of the GDPR, the e-Privacy framework and AI Act, significantly reducing established protections.”
On Wednesday, the Commission will also launch a “digital fitness check” to examine how effective existing digital rules, such as the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, are, and explore areas where overlaps may be happening. This could prompt another wave of simplification from the Commission.
“We are going to have a deeper dive into our regulation also, and after that we will also propose the next simplification effort,” said Commissioner Virkkunen.