In recent years, the European Union has developed a comprehensive and increasingly complex framework of ‘digital regulations’ that touches on online platforms, artificial intelligence, data governance, cybersecurity, intellectual property, digital markets, ... Presented in late 2025, the Digital Omnibus proposal and accompanying Digital Fitness Check mark a significant shift in the EU's regulatory strategy. Framed as an effort to simplify legislation, reduce administrative burdens, eliminate regulatory overlaps, and strengthen European competitiveness, the package proposes amendments across a wide range of legal instruments. Moving at a quicker pace, the AI Omnibus is set to bring notable changes to EU’s AI regulatory timeline as early as summer 2026. In the same vein, ongoing developments surrounding the Digital Omnibus Regulation equally hint at substantial changes to the existing regulatory landscape.
While these reforms are intended to improve regulatory coherence and facilitate innovation, they also raise fundamental questions. How might simplification affect existing safeguards? What are the implications for the enforcement of digital rights, democratic oversight, and responsible innovation? Who stands to benefit from these reforms, and who may bear their costs? More broadly: what will 2027 bring? This conference, hosted by KU Leuven's Centre for IT & IP Law (CiTiP) on 10 December 2026 in Leuven, seeks to engage with these questions by bringing together policymakers, industry experts, and academics to examine the risks and opportunities of the Digital Omnibus across the themes of democracy, digital sovereignty, AI fairness, research and archiving, healthcare, children's rights, standardisation and automation, and intellectual property.
In addition, CiTiP organises a Digital Colloquium for junior (doctoral) researchers on 11 December in Leuven. During the event, researchers will be able to present their research and receive feedback from experts in the field. More info here on the call for abstracts for the Digital Colloquium.
More information on the program, conference panels, and registration will be published soon, but already block your agenda on 10 and 11 December 2026 for an event full of exchanges, insights and networking in Leuven.