European Union member states have agreed on a negotiating position aimed at simplifying the implementation of the bloc’s landmark Artificial Intelligence Act, part of a broader effort to reduce regulatory burdens and improve competitiveness across the EU.
The agreement, reached by the Council of the European Union, forms part of the EU’s “Omnibus VII” legislative package, which seeks to streamline digital legislation and make compliance with AI rules more practical for businesses while maintaining key safeguards.
Officials say the proposal is intended to provide greater legal certainty and ensure more consistent enforcement of AI rules across member states. Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus, said the changes will help support innovation while enabling companies to adapt to the regulatory framework more effectively.
Under the revised plan, the timeline for applying certain rules to high-risk AI systems would be extended. The Council proposes that requirements for standalone high-risk systems take effect on Dec. 2, 2027, while rules for high-risk systems embedded in products would apply starting Aug. 2, 2028. The delay is intended to ensure technical standards and compliance tools are available before enforcement begins.
The Council also introduced new provisions to strengthen protections against harmful uses of AI. These include an explicit ban on AI systems used to generate non-consensual sexual or intimate imagery and child sexual abuse material.
Additional amendments restore requirements for AI providers to register systems in the EU database for high-risk applications, even if they believe their systems qualify for exemptions. The proposal also maintains strict conditions for processing sensitive personal data in order to detect and correct bias in AI systems.
Other changes would delay the establishment of national AI regulatory sandboxes until December 2027 and clarify the supervisory role of the EU’s AI Office while preserving certain responsibilities for national authorities in areas such as law enforcement and financial regulation.
Negotiations between the Council and the European Parliament are expected to begin next.
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