Civil society calls on lawmakers to reject Omnibus proposal to safeguard AI Act

A coalition of 41 organisations and experts led by European Digital Rights (EDRi) has signed an open letter calling on the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union to reject the proposed Digital Omnibus for AI package. The group urges the three institutions to honour their responsibility to safeguard the integrity and implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) without further delay.

With trilogue negotiations imminent, the coalition has expressed deep concern regarding both the substance of the Omnibus package and the legislative procedure surrounding it. The proposal is described as procedurally flawed, with claims that the Commission has exceeded its mandate for technical changes and failed to follow basic democratic procedures.

The group argues that the positions of the Commission, Council, and Parliament would result in a weakening of the AI Act’s core safeguards. Furthermore, they warn that the proposed changes fundamentally alter the structure of the law and would leave citizens without adequate protection from high-risk AI systems, specifically citing biometric identification and the use of AI in schools. As a consequence, the signatories are demanding the rejection of the Omnibus for AI package to ensure a democratic process and the protection of fundamental rights.

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