Representatives of EU institutions, national governments and the digital industry gathered in Brussels on 24–25 February 2026 for two events organised within the framework of the CEE Digital Coalition, focusing on the European Commission’s Digital Omnibus package and its implications for Europe’s digital economy. The meetings provided a platform to present the joint perspective of the Central and Eastern European digital sector, highlighting the need for meaningful regulatory simplification, legal certainty for businesses and stronger support for innovation across the European Union.

The first event, Digital Opening of the Year 2026: EU Digital Priorities through the CEE Perspective, took place in Brussels on 24 February and brought together policymakers and industry representatives to discuss the future direction of EU digital policy and the role of Central and Eastern Europe in strengthening Europe’s digital competitiveness.

The discussion gathered representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, national governments and the digital industry, including Rita Wezenbeek, Director for Online Platforms Economy at DG CONNECT, Wojciech Saryusz-Wolski, Head of Unit at DG CONNECT, Katarzyna Prusak-Górniak, Digital Attaché at the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU, Ieva Ilves Senior Advisor on Cybersecurity Policy and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and Tomas Zdechovský, Member of the European Parliament. The discussion was moderated by Witold Strzelecki, Managing Director of Business & Science Poland, and Michał Kanownik, President of the Digital Poland Association.

2026 as a pivotal year for Europe’s digital competitiveness
During the debate, speakers emphasised that 2026 may become a decisive moment for Europe’s digital competitiveness, particularly in the context of ongoing efforts to simplify the regulatory environment for digital businesses.

“2026 may be pivotal for the digital economy of Europe. The shift of efforts towards competitiveness aligns with the growing ambition of CEE Member States to build a strong digital hub for the European Union in our region,” said Michał Kanownik.

Participants highlighted that while the European Commission’s Digital Omnibus proposal and the broader Digital Fitness Check initiative represent an important step toward reducing regulatory complexity, further improvements will be necessary to ensure that simplification efforts translate into greater innovation capacity and competitiveness of European companies.

“This EU mandate has brought an extraordinary push for simplification and burden reduction, particularly in the digital domain. Digital Omnibus and the Digital Fitness Check are strong signals of that effort,” noted Wojciech Saryusz-Wolski, Head of Unit at DG CONNECT, European Commission.

Expert discussion on Digital Omnibus and regulatory developments
On 25 February, the CEE Digital Coalition organised an online expert discussion dedicated to the broader regulatory developments related to the Digital Omnibus package and its implications for the digital sector in Central and Eastern Europe.

The session was moderated by Michał Kanownik, President of the Digital Poland Association, Witold Strzelecki, Managing Director of Business & Science Poland and Marcin Olender from AI Chamber, and served as an additional platform for exchanging views between policymakers and representatives of the digital ecosystem.

Both events formed part of the CEE Digital Coalition’s ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation among digital industry organisations from Central and Eastern Europe and to ensure that the region’s perspective is reflected in EU policymaking.