The European Commission officially submitted the 'Digital Omnibus' proposal package at the end of 2025, aiming to simplify and modernize the EU's digital regulatory framework. This practically does not introduce entirely new rules, but rather aims to fine-tune, harmonize, and reduce the administrative burdens of existing regulations — such as those concerning data protection, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
The proposal package can be divided into two main pillars: on one hand, the simplification of the general 'digital acquis'; on the other hand, separate regulatory relaxations and amendments for the current AI Act (and related rules).
From the perspective of e-commerce and digital services, the effects of the Digital Omnibus may be significant in several areas: as EU regulation — data protection, data processing, AI-based services, platform regulations — has become overlapping and complex, the proposal aims to make the rules more coherent and transparent. This could reduce the regulatory burden for businesses that sell online, process data, or use artificial intelligence or automated decision-making.
However, this does not automatically mean that regulation is loosening — the effects of the proposal are debated: instead of tightening, they promise 'simplification,' but critics fear that some data protection or consumer protection rules may weaken, particularly regarding the transparency of automated decisions and AI-based services, as well as data processing.
The draft is currently undergoing the ordinary legislative procedure: it was officially submitted on November 19, 2025. In the coming weeks and months, the European Parliament and the Council will examine, amend, and discuss the proposals — so it is not yet final.
If the procedure goes smoothly, the decision and adoption could come by the end of 2026; then comes member state implementation, which depends on what transposition mechanisms the EU prescribes — this is particularly important because e-commerce service providers will feel the changes most at that point.
In summary: the Digital Omnibus aims to rationalize and reform the EU's digital regulatory system, which represents an opportunity for businesses active in e-commerce to reduce administrative burdens and simplify operations — however, attention must be paid to the details of planned regulatory changes, as they could have serious implications in the areas of data processing, AI use, or consumer protection.
