Czech Confederation of Industry strengthens CEE+ business coordination: the Digital Omnibus must deliver real simplification

The Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, together with AI Chamber, hosted an industry roundtable in Prague bringing together business organisations from across the CEE+ region. Held in the context of the CEE AI Summit, the discussion focused on the next phase of the Digital Omnibus and on stronger coordination of regional business priorities at European level.

For the Confederation, stronger CEE+ cooperation is a strategic priority. If the voice of Central and Eastern European business is to be genuinely heard in Brussels, it is not enough to react to individual legislative proposals at national level. Priorities need to be developed together, coordinated early and advocated jointly. This is the kind of regional cooperation the Confederation wants to continue building and leading.

The Digital Omnibus is an important test of that ambition. Its success should not be measured by the number of legal acts amended, but by whether it actually removes duplication, lowers compliance costs and provides greater legal certainty. In a joint letter, business organisations from across CEE+ therefore called on Member States to preserve the ambition of the proposal and deliver genuine simplification as negotiations enter their decisive phase.

We see five areas as particularly important: removing genuinely duplicative regulatory obligations; restoring a clear legal basis for AI development and operation, including the role of legitimate interest under the GDPR; creating an interoperable cybersecurity reporting framework based on the principle of “one incident, one reporting process”; ensuring effective protection of trade secrets and commercially sensitive business data; and aligning requirements across the GDPR, NIS2, CRA, DORA, the AI Act and the broader EU digital framework.

Restoring legal certainty for AI development is particularly important. Addressing the issue only in a recital does not provide businesses with the certainty they need and risks renewed fragmentation across Member States. For European companies — and especially startups and SMEs across CEE — predictable rules are essential if they are to develop and scale AI products in Europe.

The joint position is supported by business and technology organisations from across the CEE+ region. AI Chamber is also a partner of the Confederation in regional cooperation and co-organised the Prague industry roundtable.

Europe does not need another layer of digital regulation. It needs a simpler, more predictable and genuinely harmonised framework — one that protects fundamental rights and cybersecurity while giving companies the space to innovate, invest and compete globally.