Monday 6 July, 2026
The GSMA and Connect Europe, representing the European telecommunication sector, welcome the opportunity to comment on the European Commission’s ‘Digital Omnibus’ and to offer our views on how this initiative can help to simplify the regulatory landscape related to data, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. We appreciate the European Commission’s ambition to simplify the EU rulebook and to ‘stress-test’ the current digital rules, resulting in lower administrative costs, more coherent regulation, and a harmonised regulatory framework in line with the EU’s goals for a more competitive Europe. We also see the need and added value of effective regulation that strikes the right balance between safeguarding individuals’ fundamental rights and enabling innovation and competitiveness.
An overly complex regulatory landscape, marked by the proliferation of legislative instruments and their unclear and fragmented interplays, risks undermining the very objectives set out by EU institutions. To effectively protect individuals’ rights while promoting innovation and competitiveness, it is essential to ensure that companies are not overwhelmed by disproportionate bureaucracy, excessive paperwork, or unrealistic expectations. Based on the scope of the current call for evidence, GSMA and Connect Europe members are concerned that urgent and necessary regulatory simplification in the telecoms sector is being de-prioritised, relative to efforts to simplify or streamline regulation on digital platforms.
We share our views on the ePrivacy Directive, the ‘data acquis’, the cybersecurity framework, and the AI Act.
