The Commission is setting out a simplification agenda for the years to come based on feedback from public consultations including a digital omnibus with a first set of measures to quickly reduce the burden on businesses.
These measures focus on:
- Data legislation, including rules on cookies and other tracking technologies
- Cybersecurity incident reporting
- Targeted adjustments to the Artificial Intelligence Act to ensure the optimal application of the rules
This pioneering output, which has already gathered press attention (see articles from FAZ, Der Standard, Tagesspiegel, and SZ) advances a measured and forward-looking reform of the GDPR designed to bolster the Union’s competitiveness in the digital economy while ensuring the continued protection of fundamental rights and freedoms. Drawing on the policy vision articulated in the Report on the Future of European Competitiveness (Draghi Report), the Response sets out a risk-calibrated approach that eases regulatory burdens on SMEs, enhances the consistency and effectiveness of enforcement across Member States, and addresses inconsistencies currently hindering the development and deployment of AI systems. Through the introduction of differentiated regulatory regimes, the clarification of key normative provisions, and the reduction of administrative friction, the initiative aims to create a coherent, innovation-conducive, and rights-respecting data protection framework – one that both supports economic growth and sustains the Union’s high standards of privacy, legal certainty, and accountability.
ELI’s output, developed under the intellectual leadership of ELI Project Authors, Prof Dr Christiane Wendehorst, Prof Paolo Balboni, Jussi Mäkinen, Prof Dr Teresa Rodríguez de las Heras Ballell, Ms Agata Szeliga and Dr Rania Wazir, addresses many of these themes and was submitted to help shape the Commission’s approach. It is available here.
To mark this notable achievement and stimulate informed debate among policymakers, jurists, and scholars, ELI is pleased to invite you to the upcoming event:
Webinar: Targeted Revision of EU Data Protection Law
5 November 2025 (12:30–14:00)
