Today, EG CEO Mikkel Bardram participated in a closed roundtable discussion at the European Parliament on digital regulatory simplification. The message is clear: If Europe is to reap the rewards of AI and new technology, regulation must target real risks and avoid being broader than necessary.

With 3,000 employees and 10 million users across the Nordic region, the software company EG experiences the impact of EU legislation first-hand in the daily lives of doctors, housing associations, and citizens.

There is political will for change. However, there is a need for a more fundamental shift away from broad and unfocused legislation - and the level of ambition must be raised.

"What truly hampers the benefits of AI and new technology for society is when regulation becomes all-encompassing and vague. We must regulate specifically and with focus to avoid repeating the mistakes of the GDPR. Rules should protect where the risk is real - not stall solutions that improve the everyday lives of citizens," says Mikkel Bardram.

Technology can improve daily life for millions of citizens AI can already release time, raise the quality of public services, and make everyday life easier for both citizens and employees.

Today, a general practitioner spends up to 2 hours daily on documentation and administration. Here, AI can act as a lever, allowing doctors to look their patients in the eye instead of the computer screen. With EG’s AI software, consultations can be securely recorded in real-time, medical records prepared automatically, and referrals generated with a few clicks. The result is concrete - more time for patients and better utilization of resources in the healthcare system.

The same applies to the social housing sector, where 20 percent of the Danish population resides. Housing organizations handle thousands of inquiries every year regarding maintenance, waiting lists, and resident questions. With AI-based solutions, a large portion of routine inquiries can be answered automatically 24/7 - freeing up staff for cases that require human judgment and presence.

The societal potential is enormous, but it requires that regulation does not stand in the way.

Protection must follow the risk

Not all data carries the same risk. Health data and sensitive personal information require strong protection - that is precisely where resources should be correctly utilized. However, when ordinary business information is handled with the same heavy requirements as a patient's medical record, effort is spent in the wrong place. This delays the solutions that can make a difference for citizens.

"We propose reducing the scope of the GDPR so that administrative data and low-risk data are removed entirely. There is no reason to trigger the same heavy documentation requirements for data without risk as we do for sensitive information. It shifts resources from innovation to administration and delays the welfare that technology can create," explains Mikkel Bardram.

Regulation must be precise and focused

When new regulation is so broad and unclear, it can be difficult to know what is covered - and that paralyzes businesses. It is not the protection itself that is the problem. It is when the rules hit far wider than the risk they were created to address.

"It is not about weakening protection. It is about enabling Europe to deliver better healthcare, stronger public services, and more resilient digital infrastructure - faster," says Mikkel Bardram.

There is political will to create a more balanced regulatory environment. Now, that will must be translated into real and tangible simplification.

About the meeting

The roundtable at the European Parliament was organized by the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) together with sister organizations in Sweden and Finland. Mikkel Bardram participated alongside MEP Arba Kokalari (Sweden, rapporteur for the AI Omnibus), MEP Aura Salla (Finland), and MEP Henrik Dahl (Denmark), all of whom work directly with the EU’s digital regulatory framework.

Contact
Head of Corporate Communications
Tine Rasmussen
tiner@eg.dk
+45 29690677