A coalition of 108 civil society organizations, academics, companies, trade unions, and experts, including CDT Europe, has released an open letter directed to the European Commission's Executive Vice-President Virkkunen and Commissioner McGrath. The letter expresses significant concerns over proposals to reopen the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR is a critical component of the EU's digital regulations and is regarded as a legislative success that upholds high standards for data protection.
The coalition warns that proposed changes could fail to achieve genuine simplification and might instead undermine fundamental rights safeguards. While there is room for improvement in incentivizing and simplifying compliance—particularly for smaller entities—the letter argues that reducing legal protections is not the solution.
The letter emphasizes that the EU should focus on enforcing existing rules against repeat offenders. It also suggests enhancing guidance, access to tools, and providing proportional compliance support for smaller organizations.