Joint letters
Dear Minister,
We write to you to share our urgent concerns about the European Commission’s Digital Omnibus proposal ahead of the Telecommunications Council meeting of 9 June 2026.
As representatives of Europe’s media industries, we urge you to reject the harmful measures proposed under Articles 88a and 88b GDPR in the Commission proposal and maintained in Article 5(3) ePrivacy Directive and 8a GDPR by the Council, which run entirely counter to the initiative's stated goal of simplification to strengthen EU competitiveness.
We see a profound disconnect between the stated aim of the omnibus and its actual contents. Instead of simplifying rules, the Digital Omnibus introduces additional requirements and restrictions that will make it more difficult to process data in Europe. In effect, the proposal maintains strict consent obligations while simultaneously preventing companies from effectively requesting and obtaining consent, and offering no working alternatives for key low-risk processes such as audience measurement.
We have repeatedly shared this concern with the European Commission and representatives of Member States since the publication of the proposal in November 2025, with little effect. A lack of clear political directions at highest levels is hindering meaningful progress in this much needed simplification exercise.
To be meaningful, the Digital Omnibus must deliver on its promise to offer a more proportionate, risk-based framework so that Europe’s digital and media economy can grow and compete globally whilst contributing to the diversity of content and news.
We ask for your clear political support in the upcoming Council meeting to enforce better accountability for the measures proposed, so that the Digital Omnibus aligns strictly with its original mandate of simplifying EU rules and boosting competitiveness. Article 88b or any equivalent provisions should therefore be rejected and removed from the scope of the Digital Omnibus, as they warrant further discussions and an impact assessment, while Article 88a should be amended in accordance with the effective simplification objectives of the Digital Omnibus whilst ensuring alignment with existing legislation, in particular the European Media Freedom Act and the Digital Markets Act.
We thank you for your time and leadership on this critical issue.
Sincerely
Signatories:
ACT - Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe
AER - Association of European Radios
AMC - Audience Measurement Coalition
EBU - European Broadcasting Union
EGTA - the International Trade Body of Multiplatform TV and Audio Businesses
EMMA - European Magazine Media Association
ENPA - European Newspaper Publishers Association
EPC - European Publishers Council
NME - News Media Europe
The European Magazine Media Association, is the unique and complete representation of Europe’s magazine media, which is today enjoyed by millions of consumers on various platforms, encompassing both paper and digital formats.
The European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA) is the largest representative body of newspaper publishers across Europe. ENPA advocates for 14 national associations across 14 European countries, and is a principal interlocutor to the EU institutions and a key driver of media policy debates in the European Union.
