European news publishers see an urgent need to simplify EU digital rules impacting their business, going far beyond what the Commission outlines in the digital omnibus call for evidence.
EU rules are increasingly complex and anchored in burdensome procedures rather than outcomes. This makes them generally more difficult to enforce and to comply with, thereby reducing their overall effectiveness.
In addition, EU digital rules often contain horizontal obligations that must always be complied with irrespective of actual risks, contrary to the often-stated intent of observing a risk-based approach. Too often, the measures proposed to ease the impact of regulations on SMEs are also entirely insufficient.
In some cases, EU digital rules have also become far more complicated than the problems they are intended to solve. Therefore, these rules must change and adapt to business realities, such that they remain business-friendly and proportionate.
In our view, a meaningful simplification of EU digital rules should address the following areas:
- The General Data Protection Regulation
- The ePrivacy Directive
- Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising Regulation
- The upcoming Digital Fairness Act – commitment to keep it evidence-based and proportionate, using a risk-based approach
- The AI Act – simplification should not dilute copyright obligations