EU delays AI Act compliance
The EU has pushed most AI Act compliance deadlines to 2027, with further extensions into 2028 for sectors like medical devices and automotive — creating staggered regulatory timelines across jurisdictions. That stagger gives engineering teams time to prioritize compliance by risk class but raises global product rollout complexity. (techbuzz.ai)
IMCO and LIBE jointly adopted a negotiating position on the Digital Omnibus on AI in a plenary vote recorded as 569 in favour, 45 against and 23 abstentions on 26 March 2026. (febis.org) The Council of the EU approved a general approach to the Omnibus VII package on 13 March 2026, formally aligning member states behind a streamlined AI rules proposal. (consilium.europa.eu) Stand‑alone high‑risk AI obligations have been fixed to apply from 2 December 2027, while high‑risk AI systems embedded in physical products such as medical devices and vehicles are scheduled for 2 August 2028. (fullstackevolved.com) The medical‑device timeline includes nuanced classification and conformity interactions under ongoing MDR reform debates that lawyers say will affect how manufacturers map AI obligations to device law. (specculo.com) Parliamentary amendments inserted a ban on so‑called “nudifier” apps and tightened measures on AI‑generated imagery and watermarking in the omnibus text adopted by IMCO/LIBE. (euperspectives.eu) Trilogue negotiations between Parliament, Council and Commission are expected to start in April 2026 with the Cypriot Presidency aiming for an agreed text by May 2026, after which formal adoption, publication in the Official Journal and entry into force procedures will follow. (globalpolicywatch.com)
