Peter Craddock: How ambitious is the Digital Omnibus?
With Peter Craddock, tech, data and cyber law expert.
In-depth analysis of the issues that matter.
The AI Omnibus: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202601744 The Digital Omnibus: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025PC0837
With Peter Craddock, tech, data and cyber law expert.
With Bart de Witte, a leading European voice in healthcare innovation and open source, founder of Hippo AI foundation and Isaree.
EU and local policymakers are eager to hear from European founders - and AI makes monitoring policy and engaging with them faster and more affordable.
On July 1, Ireland takes the helm of the Council of the EU with 68 "priorities" spanning competitiveness, values, and security.
Eurostat's 2025 data show that a lack of technical expertise, data privacy concerns, and legal uncertainty remain the main barriers to the use of AI tools among European businesses, even as most companies recognize AI’s potential value.
The EU wants to reduce “cookie fatigue” through browser-level consent rules that promise fewer banners and more transparency. Critics warn the proposal could create new gatekeepers, weaken personalised advertising, and increase costs for European businesses.
The EU’s AI Omnibus is finally here, but some criticize it for a lack of ambition. While the EU must still formally approve the AI Omnibus, focus now shifts to the second leg of the EU’s digital simplification efforts: the Digital Omnibus package, which is crucial for AI development and data.
Siemens warned that EU regulations are driving industrial giants toward the US and China. As the "Trump Effect" lures factories away with tax cuts and deregulation, Europe faces a high-stakes choice regarding data rules and the chip dilemma of speed vs. sovereignty.
As AI grabs the spotlight, Europe’s data economy still powers billions in value, yet fragmented GDPR enforcement continues to hold innovators back. The Digital Omnibus was meant to help, but the EU now risks retreating from even modest reform.
Merz and Meloni’s updated Italo-German Plan of Action doubles down on legislative self-restraint, simplification, and better regulation. The real test now is the Omnibus push and a Better Regulation reform.
2026 is the EU’s digital “set-up” year: a time to simplify rules, set priorities, and brace for transatlantic spillovers as major legislative initiatives race toward 2027.
As EU governments discuss the Digital Omnibus, Europe is divided: some see the Omnibus as a necessary step to help European companies, while others cling to rules like the GDPR and the AI Act.
Explaining EU innovation, consumer and tech policy