The 19th Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP) conference held in Brussels convened EU policymakers, academics, industry experts, and civil society to debate key digital policy issues shaping the future of European technology regulation.
What happened
The conference’s central discussions revolved around the European Commission’s proposed Digital Omnibus legislation, a package aimed at simplifying and streamlining overlapping EU digital laws, including the AI Act and GDPR enforcement mechanisms. While intended to reduce regulatory confusion and ease compliance burdens for businesses, the Digital Omnibus initiative sparked significant debate and skepticism among stakeholders.
Participants expressed concerns that the “simplification” effort might mask broader restructuring efforts that could weaken existing regulatory protections. Panels varied from highly detailed article-level discussions to critiques of systemic challenges facing EU lawmaking.
Another major theme was digital sovereignty, encompassing complex and sometimes conflicting perspectives. Some European actors advocated for greater technological independence from US firms, with calls for developing “Made in Europe” technology stacks. Conversely, others emphasized the practicality of maintaining interoperability with global technologies and cautioned against fragmenting the internet or digital markets. A nuanced dialogue emerged around balancing European strategic autonomy with global collaboration on standards and open-source technologies.
The conference also highlighted the challenge of expanding researcher access to platform data under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The European Commission revealed that 49 data access requests have been submitted under Article 40.4, governing independent researchers’ access to non-public data, but none have been approved yet. The discussions underscored the difficulty in obtaining proprietary platform data needed for robust public-interest research and policy transparency.
Why it matters
The Digital Omnibus legislation represents the EU’s effort to reconcile a complex framework of digital regulations into a more coherent structure, potentially impacting how AI systems, data privacy, and online platforms are governed. The outcome will influence enforcement consistency, business compliance costs, and the balance of privacy protections.
Debates around digital sovereignty highlight the tension between Europe’s ambition for technological self-reliance and the reality of a globally interconnected digital economy. These discussions signal how the EU might navigate geopolitical pressures while shaping regulatory standards that affect tech innovation, competition, and citizens’ digital rights.
Researcher access to platform data under the DSA is crucial for accountability and societal oversight of powerful online platforms. Delays or barriers in approving data requests could hinder independent investigations into issues like misinformation, algorithmic impacts, and platform governance.
Background
The CPDP conference is a leading platform in Brussels for EU digital governance discussions, attracting stakeholders from academia, civil society, industry, and policy. Its 19th edition continued a tradition of robust debate on emerging challenges in privacy, data protection, and digital rights.
The Digital Omnibus package builds on earlier legislative efforts including the AI Act and GDPR, aiming to reduce duplicative or conflicting regulatory requirements and to streamline enforcement across EU member states. However, this approach is controversial among civil society and some policymakers who warn against diluting protections.
Digital sovereignty has increasingly become a strategic priority within the EU, reflecting concerns about dependence on foreign technology providers, data governance, and geopolitical influence. The discussions at CPDP revealed a spectrum of views on how best to achieve European digital autonomy without undermining the open internet and international cooperation.
The Digital Services Act, adopted in 2022, introduced new rules for platform transparency and liability, including provisions for independent researchers to access platform data under strict conditions. Implementation of these provisions is closely watched as a test of the EU’s capacity to enforce digital oversight.
Sources
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