European Commission launches expert enforcement team to tighten AI Act oversight and protect digital sovereignty

The European Commission is tightening the machinery around the AI Act at the same time it is broadening its industrial push on technology sovereignty. On June 2, Brussels appointed two new expert bodies to support enforcement of the AI Act. On June 3, the Commission published a separate tech-sovereignty plan covering semiconductors, AI, cloud and open source. Together, the moves show the EU trying to build enforcement capacity while also reducing dependence on foreign infrastructure and suppliers. ### Who are the new bodies Brussels just put in place? The European Commission said the new bodies are a Scientific Panel and an Advisory Forum designed to support the AI Office and national authorities supervising compliance with the AI Act. Digital Watch Observatory reported that the Scientific Panel will provide independent expertise on general-purpose AI models and systems, systemic-risk assessment, model classification, evaluation methods and cross-border market surveillance. (dig.watch) The Scientific Panel has 60 independent experts drawn from frontier AI research, engineering, technical auditing, industry and societal-impact assessment, according to Digital Watch. The Advisory Forum brings together representatives from academia, civil society, industry, startups and small businesses, with permanent seats for agencies including the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and the EU cybersecurity agency ENISA. Members of both bodies will serve two-year terms. (dig.watch) ### Why does this matter for companies already preparing for the AI Act? The Commission’s AI Office was established in May 2024 to help ensure coherent implementation and enforcement of the AI Act, and the Commission says it also launched an AI Act Service Desk and Single Information Platform in October 2025. The new expert structures add technical depth as the law moves from framework to supervision. The practical effect is likely to be closer scrutiny of how companies classify models, assess systemic risk and manage third-party dependencies, based on the remit the Commission has given the panel and forum. (dig.watch) Digital Watch said the new bodies are intended to support coordinated enforcement across member states and provide expertise on emerging risks, standards and compliance challenges. That suggests more detailed engagement around risk assessments, governance and market surveillance rather than only headline rulemaking. (commission.europa.eu) ### What is in the Commission’s sovereignty push? The European Commission said on June 3 that its tech-sovereignty agenda is aimed at strengthening Europe’s capacity in semiconductors, AI, cloud and open source. That sits within a broader Commission priority led by Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, whose portfolio is explicitly titled “Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.” (dig.watch) The Commission has already linked that agenda to concrete procurement and infrastructure measures. In April, it awarded a sovereign-cloud tender allowing EU institutions and agencies to procure sovereign cloud services worth up to 180 million euros over six years. The Commission has also said that work has begun on 19 AI factories across 16 member states, with most expected to be operational by the end of 2026. (commission.europa.eu) ### Where does the €20 billion gigafactory plan stand? The EU’s separate plan for five AI gigafactories was presented as a flagship part of Europe’s compute ambitions, but reporting indicates execution problems. The Next Web reported that the 20 billion euro program has been hit by delays and funding gaps, and that interest has narrowed from roughly 70 companies to 10, with some consortia reconsidering participation. The same outlet reported last week that a Scaleway-led French consortium had bid about $10 billion for one of the five sites, showing the process is still moving even as participation tightens. (commission.europa.eu) That bid included backing from Iliad, GENCI, Inria, Eviden, SiPearl and partners linked to Hugging Face and Mistral. ### How does cloud procurement fit into the sovereignty agenda? The Commission’s April sovereign-cloud tender is one direct example of using procurement to shape the market. (thenextweb.com) The award allows EU bodies to buy sovereign cloud services for up to 180 million euros over six years, giving Brussels a mechanism to preference providers that meet its sovereignty requirements. (thenextweb.com) TechRadar reported this week that newly drafted EU cloud rules could restrict U.S. hyperscalers from some critical public-sector tenders. That reporting fits with the Commission’s recent procurement steps, though the exact scope of any future restrictions will depend on the final rules and tender language. ### What happens next? The AI Office, national market-surveillance authorities, the new Scientific Panel and the Advisory Forum are now the main institutions to watch on enforcement. (commission.europa.eu) On the industrial side, the next milestones are gigafactory bid decisions, further sovereign-cloud procurement actions and the rollout of AI factories that the Commission says should mostly be operational by the end of 2026. (dig.watch) (techradar.com)