EU AI Act enforcement set
The EU’s AI Act moves into enforcement with a main compliance date of August 2, 2026—and it applies extraterritorially to any AI that affects EU citizens, with fines up to 7% of global turnover. Companies serving European users will need model transparency, risk management, and auditability changes, not just policy edits. (insightsoftware.com) (introl.com)
High‑risk AI systems must complete a formal conformity assessment under Annex VII and providers can nominate any EU‑notified body to perform that assessment, per Article 43 of the Act. (ai-act-service-desk.ec.europa.eu) The Act creates a three‑tier fine structure with maximum penalties of €35 million for the most serious breaches, €15 million for high‑risk non‑compliance, and €7.5 million for providing misleading information to authorities. (glocertinternational.com ) Providers domiciled outside the EU are required to appoint an EU‑based “authorised representative” to accept regulatory duties and communications on their behalf under the law’s jurisdictional and enforcement provisions. (lexology.com) The European Artificial Intelligence Office is established as the EU centre of expertise to coordinate the European Artificial Intelligence Board while Member States designate national competent authorities and market‑surveillance bodies to carry out inspections. (digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu) (ai-act-service-desk.ec.europa.eu) Chapter VIII mandates registration of high‑risk systems in an EU database before market placement, including submission of technical documentation, risk‑management files and records of testing. (artificialintelligenceact.eu ) The EU AI Office published a final Code of Practice for general‑purpose AI models on 10 July 2025 and the Commission has issued guidance and a disclosure template to operationalise provider obligations for GPAI. (lw.com) (skadden.com) Enforcement will hinge on “audit‑ready” artefacts required by the text—automatically generated logs, continuous risk‑management evidence, and lifecycle documentation—which authorities can demand during market‑surveillance or conformity checks. (glocertinternational.com) (artificialintelligenceact.eu)
