Privacy Next’s Response to the EU Consultation on Cross-border judicial cooperation – revision of Eurojust Regulation (impact assessment)

In preparation for a revision of the Eurojust Regulation, the Commission undertook a call for evidence and public consultation to gather a diverse range of views on how the EU can improve Eurojust’s ability to address serious cross-border crime. The initiative for a revision of the Eurojust Regulation aims to enhance security by increasing Eurojust’s support to national authorities in combating serious and organised crime, which is expected to reduce economic harm, promote stability, and foster growth in the EU. Strengthened efforts against crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and cybercrime are anticipated to yield social benefits, including improved public safety, health, and online security.  Additionally, the initiative seeks to bolster fundamental rights by ensuring citizen security, improving victims’ access to justice, and safeguarding suspects’ rights. ​ While enhanced information exchange is essential for addressing cross-border crime, the impact on personal data protection must be recognised and appropriate safeguards must be in place. The revision of the Eurojust Regulation seeks to provide Eurojust with a framework to respond faster and more effectively to organised crime and further enhance the security of society.

The EU’s Digital Fitness Check is the second stage of the European Commission’s digital simplification agenda, following the targeted regulatory adjustments proposed under the Digital Omnibus. The fitness check was designed as a broad, evidence‑gathering exercise to assess whether the EU’s digital rulebook remains effective, proportionate and fit for the future. The call for evidence and consultation sought the views of stakeholders to examine the cumulative impact of the EU’s digital rules businesses, people, and public authorities, The process had a deliberately tactical focus, inviting stakeholders to share practical experiences with overlaps, inconsistencies and synergies between the rules, and to provide evidence on regulatory burdens and real‑world effects. It is hoped that the consultative process will provide an evidence-based assessment of the EU’s digital rules to determine how well they support EU competitiveness while safeguarding values and fundamental rights.

Privacy Next provided a response to the European Commission’s call for feedback on the Digital Omnibus proposal for a regulation – COM(2025)836. The Digital Omnibus proposal comes at a time when the regional organisation and its Member States are pursuing a range of policy priorities – competitiveness, simplification, better enforcement, increased cooperation, and more efficiency are all identified as necessary matters to address. Privacy Next is of the view that these are not mutually exclusive choices in the process of legislative reform. The data governance framework has been built recognising the need to adapt to the technical and social developments in society while maintaining sufficient safeguards for the protection of personal data. Both objectives must be pursued to ensure the effective functioning of the EU’s Single/internal market.

The feedback submitted by Privacy Next raised the following key points:

• GDPR has expanded into a “law of everything,” overextending its scope and weakening the data protection framework
• Supervisory authorities are overwhelmed by individual complaints, undermining enforcement, consistency, and public guidance on GDPR implementation.
• An overemphasis on individual data protection claims has sidelined GDPR’s equally important objective of enabling the free movement of personal data.
• A recalibration of GDPR priorities is needed to better balance fundamental rights, economic competitiveness, and administrative feasibility.