A major regulatory simplification is underway
The European Union has announced its Digital Omnibus Package — the most significant regulatory simplification since GDPR took effect. Instead of businesses having to navigate a growing maze of overlapping regulations (GDPR, AI Act, NIS2, ePrivacy, and more), the EU is consolidating and streamlining these requirements. Enforcement is expected from mid-to-late 2026. The goal is to reduce compliance complexity and cost, which is good news for businesses — but it also means new rules to understand and adapt to.
What this means for your business
If you run a website that serves customers in Europe, several things are changing. Incident reporting is being unified — instead of separate notifications under different regulations, there will be a single reporting portal. AI-related requirements are being made more practical, especially for small and medium-sized businesses, with simplified documentation and longer transition periods. Data governance rules are getting exemptions for smaller companies, potentially saving significant compliance costs. The overall direction is positive: less bureaucracy, clearer requirements, and more support for businesses trying to do the right thing.
Cookie and consent rules are getting simpler
One of the most visible changes for website owners involves consent management. The new rules introduce single-click accept or reject options — no more multi-step consent flows. Browser-level preference signals will be recognized, meaning users can set their consent preferences once in their browser rather than on every individual website. There will also be a six-month moratorium after a user refuses consent, so you won't be able to ask again immediately. For website owners, this means simpler consent banners and potentially fewer frustrated visitors abandoning your site because of intrusive cookie popups.
Compliance is getting more manageable
The EU estimates these changes could save businesses up to €5 billion by 2029 through eliminated duplicate reporting and streamlined processes. Ready-to-use contractual templates will reduce the need for expensive legal drafting. Regulatory sandboxes are being introduced so businesses can test new technologies in a controlled environment before full compliance is required. For small businesses in particular, many of the most burdensome requirements are being scaled back or exempted entirely. This doesn't mean you can ignore compliance — but the path to getting there is becoming more realistic.
How to prepare
Don't wait for the final enforcement date to start preparing. Review your current consent management setup — the single-click requirement will likely need changes to your cookie banner. Check if you're using any AI tools on your website (chatbots, personalization, analytics) that might fall under the simplified AI requirements. Make sure your incident response plan is up to date, since the unified reporting portal will require specific information within set timeframes. And keep an eye on the timeline — some changes take effect sooner than others.