eco on the German-Italian Government Consultations

Berlin, 22 January 2026

On the occasion of the German-Italian government consultations on 23 January 2026, Oliver Süme, Chair of the Board of eco - Association of the German Internet Industry, states:

"Europe is under considerable pressure to act in terms of digital policy. In times of geopolitical tensions and intensified global competition, it is now being decided whether Europe will remain technologically capable and economically competitive.

"As central economies in the EU, Germany and Italy bear a special responsibility to shape this course together - because competitiveness, technological strength and digital sovereignty can only be achieved through European solidarity.

"This requires a clear change of course: less complexity, more speed and more investment incentives. The Digital Omnibus must provide tangible relief, reduce overlaps and make regulation coherent and practical - especially in areas where companies are currently being slowed down by bureaucracy.

"Artificial intelligence must be usable in Europe in a safe and reliable manner - particularly for SMEs. This requires clear, uniform and innovation-friendly implementation rather than new uncertainty.

"Digital sovereignty does not mean isolation, but rather the targeted development of high-performance cloud, data and AI infrastructures in Europe. If Germany and Italy take the lead here together, they can become Europe's anchor of digital stability."