With the Omnibus Agenda and the Digital Package, the European Commission aims to modernize the European legal framework and adapt it to the requirements of the digital age. A vital component is the AI Act, the European regulatory framework for the responsible use of artificial intelligence. Our White Paper “Simplifying European AI Regulation” outlines how its implementation and simplification could be achieved.

Europe’s Regulation in Transition: Omnibus Agenda

With his report on Europe’s competitiveness, Mario Draghi revived an important debate in 2024: Europe’s economic strength depends decisively on how well innovation, regulation, and technological performance are considered together. One of his core recommendations was to simplify existing EU regulations and align them better in order to secure competitiveness in the long term.

The European Commission is responding with the planned Omnibus Agenda, which envisions a comprehensive modernization and simplification of the European legal framework by 2030. It includes six thematic Omnibus packages, covering policy areas from sustainability and investment to agriculture, security, and industry.

The AI Act Under Political Scrutiny

A year after presenting his report, Mario Draghi emphasized at  the High-Level Conference On Competitiveness that the AI Act is exemplary for the challenges of modern regulation. While some initial rules have been implemented, Draghi noted that the next phase will be crucial, particularly for high-risk systems in sensitive areas such as health, transport, or critical infrastructure. He emphasized that regulation would have to remain proportionate in order not to stifle innovation and competitiveness.

Thus, the AI Act – barely in force and still without comprehensive implementation experience – is already the subject of discussions about possible adjustments. Within the Digital Package, as part of Omnibus IV, it is to be reviewed. This package focuses on digitalization and reducing bureaucracy, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with the goal of better aligning digital legislation and making its application easier.

The debate shows how dynamic the tension between regulatory ambition, practical implementation, and innovation currently is.

Simplification as a Principle: The White Paper in Focus

In this context, the Bertelsmann Stiftung, supported by the KI Bundesverband, has published the White Paper “Simplifying European AI Regulation.” The authors, Prof. Dr. Philipp Hacker, Dr. Robert Kilian, and Prof. Dr. Jana Costas, show how the AI Act can be made more practical without losing its protective effect.

The White Paper aims to contribute constructively to the European regulatory debate and illustrates, using concrete examples, that simplification does not mean deregulation but rather a strengthening of clarity and coherence.

Reducing Complexity, Creating Legal Clarity

The analysis is based on fifteen interviews and an interdisciplinary workshop with experts from business, academia, and civil society. The results show that it is not the AI Act itself that poses the greatest obstacle, but its insufficient coordination with existing European legal acts. SMEs in particular face the challenge of having to fulfill various obligations from multiple legal frameworks at once leading to a situation of high administrative burdens and legal uncertainty.

A simplification within the framework of the Digital Package, if well implemented, can bring more comprehensibility and legal certainty. Improved alignment between legal frameworks would help eliminate redundancies, reinforce fundamental rights, and foster innovation (see also: Implementing the AI Act: Many Areas of Tension with Existing Regulations)

Outlook

The White Paper forms the preliminary stage of a more detailed analysis, which will be published at the end of November 2025.

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