Telecoms associations welcome Digital Omnibus but call for broader simplification

In a joint statement issued on 19 November 2025, Connect Europe and the GSMA welcomed the European Commission’s Digital Omnibus package as a useful first step toward simplifying EU digital regulation. The two telecoms associations said the initiative aligns with President Ursula von der Leyen’s commitment to regulatory modernisation, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity, data governance, GDPR and AI. They cautioned, however, that the reforms remain limited in scope and fall short of addressing the deeper structural issues that continue to generate complexity for operators across the EU.

According to the two groups, the Commission’s intention to delay enforcement of high-risk AI requirements under the AI Act is a pragmatic move, allowing additional time for authorities and industry to finalise harmonised standards. However, they argue that the Digital Omnibus stops short of addressing the most significant structural inefficiencies in EU digital policymaking. The telecoms associations point in particular to the ePrivacy Directive, which they describe as outdated and a source of regulatory overlap. While the Omnibus addresses cookie-related provisions, it notes that the wider issue of integrating confidentiality-of-communication requirements into a more coherent, future-oriented framework remains unresolved.

Connect Europe and the GSMA also highlight the cumulative effect of overlapping obligations. They estimate that telecom operators must comply with 28 different horizontal and sector-specific regulations, amounting to 34 distinct obligations across the customer journey, nearly half of which duplicate one another. The associations argue that meaningful simplification must confront this broader regulatory architecture rather than introducing narrow procedural adjustments. They cite the Omnibus proposal for a single entry point for incident reporting as an example of partial progress, while emphasising that reporting burdens will persist unless timelines and requirements are fully aligned.

Both organisations call on the Commission to treat the Digital Omnibus as an initial step rather than the conclusion of its simplification agenda. They stress that modernising Europe’s regulatory environment will be essential for improving connectivity, supporting investment and strengthening the EU’s digital resilience. Connect Europe Director General Alessandro Gropelli and GSMA Head of Europe Laszlo Tóth reiterate that reducing unnecessary complexity should remain a priority, particularly as the EU seeks to reinforce its technological leadership and ensure a competitive, secure digital ecosystem.