AI Chamber Submission to the Digital Fairness Act Consultation

As the AI Chamber, representing innovators and businesses in the Central and Eastern European artificial intelligence sector, we submit our attached position on the proposed Digital Fairness Act (DFA). We believe this legislative initiative, while in many respects well-intentioned, is fundamentally misguided. First and foremost it contradicts the EU’s current primary strategic objective of enhancing competitiveness, creates significant legal uncertainty by duplicating existing regulations, and imposes an unnecessary cumulative burden on European enterprises, especially SMEs which are the backbone of our economy. We cannot continue down this road to more regulations stifling innovation and economic activity. 

While consumer protection is an important part of the European acquis and should be supported, arguably EU consumers already enjoy the highest level of protection in the world. While targeted action to update some specific provisions may be warranted, this sweeping new act targeting the digital sector, already reeling from the deluge of overlapping laws introduced over the last several years, is not what our citizens need to regain faith in the future of the Union. 

One year on from the Draghi report it seems the Commission is not delivering on President von der Leyen’s promises of deregulation. We urge the Commission to withdraw this proposal and instead dedicate its resources to two far more pressing priorities: first, ensuring the full and effective enforcement of the existing consumer protection framework, and second, delivering the structural reforms to the Single Market for Services and Capital Markets that are essential for Europe’s future prosperity.

The full version of the submission can be found [here].