DOT Europe, the leading voice for online services in Europe, and global law firm Freshfields today present a legal study on streamlining the EU’s digital regulatory framework. As Europe sharpens its focus on competitiveness, the report outlines opportunities to refine and optimise the EU’s digital rulebook and strengthen the Digital Single Market.

The legal study responds directly to European Commission President von der Leyen’s political guidelines from last summer, as well as the Commission’s upcoming Digital Simplification Package, expected by the end of 2025. The corpus of EU laws applicable to digital services has expanded significantly in recent years. DOT Europe’s study reveals that this growth has led to overlaps, redundancies, and at times inconsistencies. Addressing these shortcomings would ease compliance and enhance the effectiveness of existing laws.

“The renewed political focus on European competitiveness calls for a thorough and honest review of the EU’s digital rulebook. In recent years, the regulatory framework for digital services has expanded significantly – now is the time to clarify overlaps and streamline obligations while maintaining the original regulatory goals,” says Constantin Gissler, Director General at DOT Europe.

Key recommendations include streamlining governance structures, aligning rules on data access and processing, and addressing overlapping content moderation obligations. The study also identifies major potential for simplifying documentation and transparency requirements – without compromising the underlying regulatory objectives.

“Simplifying and consolidating EU Digital and Consumer laws is essential for reducing administrative burdens and fostering innovation. Our study identifies key areas for targeted changes to help businesses operate more efficiently and effectively in the single market”, says Christoph Werkmeister, Partner at Freshfields. 

In addition to its legal analysis, the study offers forward-looking recommendations to guide future policymaking. These encourage a more coherent, principle-based, and impact-aware approach to digital regulation.

You can find the full report here.