Simplifying the EU digital rulebook – a BusinessEurope position paper

Introduction

The European Union has become a global leader in digital legislation. Yet with leadership comes responsibility – not only to regulate, but to ensure that regulation, for example on data, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, truly empowers. As Europe seeks to strengthen its competitive position in an increasingly interconnected world, it must make rules work – clearly, simply, and predictably.

This document puts forward a series of concrete examples to illustrate where and how (digital) regulation can and must be simplified to reduce the burdens that hold back European businesses. We commend the initiative and the momentum of the EU institutions to look into these problems, but the anticipation now is about delivery of tangible results.

At the core of our message lies a simple truth: complexity is not strength. The proliferation of rules without proper coordination, impact assessment, or clear entry into force timelines has created unnecessary friction. The business community is thus asking to cut disproportionate and excessive burden for a smarter, more coherent, and more agile regulatory framework that treats digital not as a siloed sector, but as a cross-cutting enabler of resilience, innovation, and growth. We caution policymakers not to lose sight of the necessary structural fixes in pursuit of micro-adjustments. Reducing ambiguity of EU digital legislation, strengthening the impact assessments, and ensuring inter-service consultation coherence (including on governance/enforcement, deadlines, interplay) are not just technical improvements – they are preconditions for restoring trust in the regulatory process and enhancing Europe’s economic dynamism.

This compilation is intended as a constructive contribution to the current simplification drive. It reflects the real-world experience of businesses facing conflicting, overlapping or unclear rules, legal uncertainty, and fragmented enforcement ultimately leading to excessive compliance costs. We hope simplification becomes a strategic enabler for a competitive and confident Europe in the digital decade.