EU targets August AI agreement

European Parliament and Council negotiators met Tuesday, April 28, to try to agree changes to the European Union’s AI Act before August. (europarl.europa.eu) The talks cover the EU’s “digital omnibus” on AI, a fast-track amendment package meant to adjust the law before more of its rules start applying on August 2, 2026. (europarl.europa.eu 1) (europarl.europa.eu 2) Parliament said lead lawmakers Arba Kokalari of Sweden and Michael McNamara of Ireland will brief reporters on Wednesday, April 29, after what it called the second trilogue with member states. (europarl.europa.eu) The existing AI Act already entered into force on August 1, 2024, but its obligations arrive in stages. The general date of application, including enforcement rules, is August 2, 2026. (commission.europa.eu) (europarl.europa.eu) The law works like a risk ladder. Some AI uses are banned, some high-risk systems face strict controls, and some lower-risk tools mainly face transparency duties such as telling users they are dealing with a machine. (commission.europa.eu) (europarl.europa.eu) The amendment package is aimed at the hardest part of that rollout: high-risk systems. Parliament’s research service said the Commission proposed the changes on November 19, 2025, after implementation problems emerged. (europarl.europa.eu) Under the Commission plan, deadlines for high-risk AI would be pushed back and tied to the arrival of harmonized technical standards. Parliament and the Council both moved instead toward fixed dates. (europarl.europa.eu) Parliament’s position backs December 2, 2027 for stand-alone high-risk AI systems and August 2, 2028 for high-risk AI embedded in regulated products. It also shortens the transition for marking AI-generated content to three months. (europarl.europa.eu) The Council position also supports fixed deadlines and adds bans on AI that generates non-consensual sexual or intimate content, as well as child sexual abuse material. Parliament’s press office said a ban on AI “nudification” systems is likely to be part of the deal. (europarl.europa.eu 1) (europarl.europa.eu 2) Parliament as a whole adopted its negotiating position in its March 2026 plenary session, clearing the way for trilogue talks with the Council and Commission. (europarl.europa.eu) The immediate pressure is calendar pressure. Parliament’s own implementation note says standards need to be published before the high-risk obligations take effect, meaning before August 2026 under the law as it stands. (europarl.europa.eu) If negotiators land a deal in time, the EU can rewrite part of its AI timetable before the next major compliance date arrives. If not, the original August 2, 2026 schedule remains the default. (europarl.europa.eu 1) (europarl.europa.eu 2)