Together with the German Digital Economy Association (BVDW) and 17 other companies in the German digital economy, we support the objectives of the Digital Omnibus: to reduce regulatory complexity, create legal clarity and strengthen Europe’s position as a digital hub in the long term. At the same time, we are observing with growing concern that, rather than providing the much-needed planning certainty, the current negotiations are increasingly creating uncertainty for investors.
Against this backdrop, the BVDW sent a joint CEO letter from to the Federal Chancellery, the ministries responsible for the Digital Omnibus, and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
Competitiveness requires a reliable framework
The Digital Omnibus’s original aim – to simplify digital regulation, provide legal clarity and boost Europe’s innovative capacity – enjoys broad support within the industry. At the same time, however, there is growing concern that the current direction of the negotiations no longer meets this aim.
In our view, there is a risk that the Digital Omnibus will fail to achieve its central objective. Rather than making existing regulations more coherent and practical, compromises are emerging that would create additional regulatory hurdles, exacerbate legal uncertainty and put established digital business models under pressure. The impact would extend across the entire digital value chain – from publishers and media companies, through the retail and advertising sectors, to technology providers and small and medium-sized enterprises.
Europe needs digital regulation that strikes the right balance: clear rules, less complexity and more scope for innovation. The open letter therefore sends an important signal in support of a competitive, sovereign and sustainable digital economy in Europe.
Greater legal certainty rather than added complexity
We therefore call on the Member States in the Council, on Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and on the relevant federal ministries to ensure that the Digital Omnibus is consistently aligned with its actual objective: workable regulation, greater legal certainty and investment-friendly conditions for data-driven business models. It is equally important to allow sufficient time for a thorough expert and technical review in order to avoid misguided policies and unintended consequences.
The Digital Omnibus remains a significant opportunity for Europe – provided that decision-making focuses on innovation, quality and strengthening Europe’s long-term competitiveness.
We are firmly committed to a strong European digital hub. This requires a reliable policy framework, strategic clarity and regulation that supports innovation and investment in the long term.
Der Digital Omnibus ist eine Initiative der Europäischen Union zur Vereinfachung und besseren Abstimmung bestehender digitaler Regulierungen. Hintergrund der Initiative ist die wachsende Sorge, dass immer komplexere regulatorische Anforderungen Innovationen bremsen, Investitionen erschweren und insbesondere europäische Unternehmen im internationalen Wettbewerb benachteiligen könnten.
The Digital Omnibus is a European Union initiative aimed at simplifying and better coordinating existing digital regulations. The initiative stems from growing concerns that increasingly complex regulatory requirements could stifle innovation, hinder investment and, in particular, put European companies at a disadvantage in international competition.
The focus is on, among other things, regulations concerning digital advertising, data processing, platform regulation and digital business models. The negotiations involve the EU Member States within the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and other political and economic stakeholders at European level.
