The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted an opinion drafted by Pehr Granfalk (SE/EPP), member of the Solna municipal council, calling for simpler and more coherent EU digital rules, alongside stronger financial and technical support for local and regional authorities implementing artificial intelligence and data policies. The opinion warns that overlapping regulations, skills shortages and limited resources risk slowing down innovation and widening the digital divide across Europe’s municipalities and regions.
Addressing the CoR Plenary session in Brussels rapporteur Pehr Granfalk siad “Europe’s digital future must be built with municipalities and regions, not imposed on them through complex burdens. AI and data are already transforming healthcare, transport, energy, cybersecurity and public services, but many local authorities lack the capacity to navigate the red tape. Simplification must therefore go hand in hand with proportionality, clear guidance, training, accessible AI sandboxes and dedicated support for local and regional implementation. Europe needs to innovate more, regulate in a proportionate way, and in this way, lead to more growth.”
In the adopted opinion, the rapporteur stressed that digital policy, infrastructure and cybersecurity are central to Europe’s competitiveness, sovereignty and security. Members warned that increasingly complex regulatory frameworks disproportionately affect smaller municipalities with limited administrative and technical capacity, risking deeper inequalities in Europe’s digital transition.
The CoR welcomed efforts to streamline EU digital procedures through unified guidance, standardised templates and targeted training programmes. Members also called for a dedicated AI fund to strengthen capacity at local and regional level, helping authorities deploy AI solutions more rapidly, improve administrative capabilities and address persistent shortages in digital and cybersecurity skills.
The opinion further highlighted the need for practical implementation tools, including model contracts, standardised procurement guidance and clearer rules for cooperation with global providers and the handling of data-access requests from third countries.
While acknowledging the potential of AI regulatory sandboxes and testing environments, the CoR cautioned against overly complex requirements and insufficient impact assessments that could undermine innovation. The opinion warns that excessive compliance burdens and slow implementation risk reinforcing the dominance of large technology companies and increasing dependency risks for public administrations.
The rapporteur also called for structured EU-supported training programmes in data governance, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance, underlining that investment in skills will be essential to ensure that all regions and municipalities can fully benefit from Europe’s digital transformation.
