The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group has warned that today’s vote on the AI Omnibus once again highlights a growing gap between the public rhetoric of the EPP and Renew and their actual voting behaviour, with key proposals to reduce regulatory burdens and support innovation failing to secure support.

​The ECR Group supported the compromise with clear reservations, recognising it as a necessary but insufficient step. The final outcome falls well short of the level of simplification and regulatory relief that Europe’s businesses and innovators urgently need.

Speaking after the vote, ECR Coordinator in the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) Piotr Müller said:

“This is not the worst possible outcome but it is far from what Europe needs. At a time when our companies are struggling under increasing regulatory pressure, this was the moment to introduce real simplification and create space for innovation.

“The compromise leaves key concerns unresolved, particularly with regard to administrative burden, legal complexity and the impact on smaller businesses.

“Despite all the talk about competitiveness and innovation, when it comes to concrete votes, too many of the necessary improvements simply do not find support. We would have expected this vote to send a clear signal of a genuine cultural shift towards simplification and less bureaucracy. Instead, that signal remains too weak

“We will continue to push for change. We have already seen that political positions can shift — including on migration, where the ECR helped move parts of the EPP and Renew. We will now continue to work on the economic policies that are increasingly preventing Europe from delivering for its citizens. I only hope it will not be too late by the time others recognise that their current approach is not enough.”

The ECR Group pointed in particular to missed opportunities to introduce meaningful regulatory relief for SMEs, reduce compliance burdens and ensure a more proportionate and innovation-friendly application of the AI framework.

ECR Coordinator in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Assita Kanko said:

“Artificial intelligence will shape Europe’s economy and society, and that means we must get the balance right. Protecting fundamental rights and enabling innovation are not opposing goals — they must go hand in hand.

“If the framework becomes too complex or too burdensome, Europe will fall behind in a technology that is already defining the future. This is no longer a theoretical concern — it is something we hear directly from businesses and innovators across Europe.

“Today’s vote brings some progress, but it does not yet provide the clarity and flexibility that Europe’s AI ecosystem needs. The work must continue to ensure that the framework is both effective and workable in practice.”

The Group will continue to push for further improvements in the implementation of the AI framework to ensure that Europe remains a place where technological development, investment and entrepreneurship can thrive.