ITI: EU AI Omnibus Deal Provides Needed Relief; But Focus on Simplification Must Continue
BRUSSELS – Global tech trade association ITI reacted to the conclusion of the AI Omnibus trilogues, welcoming the delay of key high-risk AI obligations as well as the agreement to address duplicative regulation for industrial AI. However, ITI highlighted that AI Omnibus does not fully address the complexity of the EU regulatory framework for AI – which will continue to impact innovation, competitiveness, and investments in Europe.
“The delay on high-risk requirements and the move to streamline rules for industrial AI are welcome and necessary steps,” said ITI Director General for Europe Guido Lobrano. “But the agreement does not fully address important challenges for the industry – from tight deadlines for watermarking and labelling requirements to continued regulatory overlaps across horizontal and vertical frameworks, beyond industrial AI. EU policymakers must continue backing an ambitious simplification agenda going forward in support of innovation and technology uptake goals.”
ITI urged EU policymakers to treat the conclusion of the AI Omnibus as one step in a longer process. If Europe is committed to creating the conditions for responsible AI uptake at scale, further work will be needed to address regulatory overlap in the Digital Omnibus, the upcoming Digital Fitness Check, as well as in AI Act guidelines, and Codes of Practice.