EU Simplification Plan Ignores Your Compliance Reality

The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus proposal aims to cut regulatory burdens by restricting data subject rights and loosening rules for AI training. However, a stark new survey by privacy watchdog NOYB reveals that this approach ignores the reality of compliance professionals. The proposed simplifications are not what Data Protection Officers actually need, creating a dangerous gap between Brussels policy and on-the-ground business needs.

Privacy experts report that core GDPR obligations regarding lawfulness and consent generate significant workload but are essential for protection. Surprisingly, they argue that data subject rights like the Right of Access create minimal work for most companies while providing crucial leverage for user privacy. The Commission’s plan to limit these rights contradicts the desire for clearer laws and concrete whitelists or blacklists for processing activities, which professionals say would offer far more legal certainty than vague risk-based flexibility.

For Swedish CTOs and CISOs, this signals a precarious compliance landscape. Relying on future legislative "simplification" is a risky strategy, as the proposed changes could erode fundamental privacy safeguards without reducing actual administrative costs. The survey highlights that B2B compliance costs remain a massive burden, particularly with cloud providers. Companies must assume that current strict interpretations of data processing agreements will persist, requiring rigorous documentation and clear contractual boundaries rather than hoping for regulatory relief.

This disconnect reinforces the imperative for sovereign, local data processing. When EU legislators struggle to align laws with technical realities, relying on external infrastructure introduces unnecessary legal ambiguity. Processing data within Sweden or the EU ensures you control the compliance narrative directly, avoiding the risks of cross-border transfers and unpredictable legislative shifts that favor large tech lobbies over practical business operations.