Recital 3a

This Regulation should simplify the application of the Union digital acquis while preserving legal certainty, institutional balance, the hierarchy of norms, and the level of protection guaranteed by Articles 7, 8, 47 and 52(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Amendments affecting the material scope of fundamental rights safeguards, the exercise of data subject rights, preventive safeguards, enforcement mechanisms or the allocation of powers between the legislature, the Commission, independent supervisory authorities and courts should be clearly justified, supported by evidence, and assessed in light of their cumulative effects. Simplification should make rights and obligations more accessible, foreseeable and enforceable. It should not lower substantive safeguards or shift essential elements of fundamental-rights protection into recitals, implementing acts, technical standards, or controller self-assessment.’

To further strengthen the Union's long-term competitiveness, the Commission should, without undue delay, review the Union's digital acquis, including Regulation (EU) 2016/679, on the basis of a comprehensive impact assessment. The review should identify further targeted simplification measures to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, improve legal certainty and facilitate the responsible availability and use of data, which are essential for innovation, trustworthy artificial intelligence and the European data economy, while preserving the high level of protection guaranteed under Union law.