EU AI Act Historic Timeline, Updates & Developments

This page is designed to provide important updates and detailed information about the EU AI Act. Here, you will find the latest developments, key changes, and significant milestones related to the Act, helping you stay informed about its progress and implications.

Upcoming developments

• 2nd August 2027: Article 6(1) and corresponding obligations come into effect.
• 2nd August 2026: The entire AI Act becomes applicable, except for Article 6(1) and corresponding obligations (High-Risk AI Systems category).
• 2nd August 2025: Chapters III Section 4 (Notifying bodies), Chapter V (General Purpose AI Models), Chapter VII (Governance), Article 78 (Confidentiality), and Articles 99 and 100 (Penalties) become applicable, excluding Article 101 (Fines for General Purpose AI Providers).
• 2nd February 2025: Chapters I (General Provisions) and II (Prohibited AI Systems) will come into effect.

2024

• 1st August: The AI Act comes into force.
• 12th July: The EU AI Act is officially published and scheduled to come into effect 20 days later.
• 21st May: The European Council officially approves the AI Act, scheduling it for publication in the EU’s Official Journal.
• 13th March: The EU officially passes the AI Act., following the European Council performing its final checks.
• 21st February: The European Artificial Intelligence Office is established to facilitate the implementation of the AI Act, particularly for general-purpose AI systems.
• 13th February: The Internal Market and Civil Liberties Committees approves the AI Act with a vote of 71-8 (7 abstentions).
• 2nd February: Member states unanimously adopt the AI Act.
• 22nd January: Euractiv’s tech editor leaks the final version of the AI Act after it was shared with the Telecom Working Party for review.

2023

• 9th December: The Parliament and the Council reach a provisional agreement on the AI Act.
• 8th December: The European Commission, the Council, and the European Parliament reach a political agreement on the AI Act’s text, subject to final approval.
• 10th August: The Council of the EU releases a document with several proposed changes to the AI Act for trialogue discussions.
• 3rd August: The European Council Presidency is updated on the progress of trilogue negotiations concerning the AI Act.
• 15th June: The European Commission's Executive President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age announces the start of trilogue negotiations on the AI Act.
• 14th June: The European Parliament adopts its official position on the AI Act with a vote of 499 in favour, 28 against, and 93 abstentions.
• 11th May: The Internal Market and Consumer Protection and the Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs Committees votes on the draft AI Act.
• 27th April: The European Parliament agrees on a draft of the AI Act.

2022

• 6th December: The Council of the EU approves its common position on the AI Act.
• 28th September: The European Commission proposes several changes to national liability rules for AI to complement the AI Act.
• 5th September: The Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) at the European Parliament adopts its opinion on the AI Act.
• 17th June: The Czech Presidency of the EU Council shares its discussion paper on the AI Act’s main priorities.
• 15th June: The French Presidency of the EU Council circulates their final compromise text on the AI Act before the Czech Presidency takes over.
• 1st June: The deadline for political groups in the European Parliament to submit amendments to the AI Act passes, with thousands of amendments submitted.
• 13th May: The French Presidency releases a proposal for regulating general-purpose AI systems.
• 20th April: MEPs Brando Benifei and Dragoș Tudorache publish their draft report on the AI Act.
• 7th March: The European Parliament adopts its position on the AI Act. These include amendments restricting AI usage for social scoring and remote biometric identification.
• 3rd March: The Committee on Industry, Research, and Energy publishes their draft opinion on the AI Act.
• 2nd March: The Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) publishes its amendments on the AI Act.
• 3rd February: The French Presidency of the Council circulates two compromise texts on user and provider obligations for high-risk AI systems. Another such text on harmonised standards, conformity assessments, and transparency obligations of certain AI systems are also shared.
• 2nd February: The European Commission presents a new Standardisation Strategy for the single market and global competitiveness.
• 25th January: The lead committees of the European Parliament hold their first joint discussion on the AI Act proposal.

2021

• 1st December: The European Parliament’s internal market and civil liberties committees begin leading negotiations on the AI Act.
• 29th November: The EU Council’s rotating presidency shares a first compromise text on the AI Act with significant changes.
• 21st September: The European Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopts a report on the AI Act, advocating a ban on biometric data for surveillance.
• 6th August: A study on biometric techniques from an ethical and legal perspective, commissioned by the European Parliament Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs, is published.
• 6th August: The public consultation period for the AI Act by the European Commission ends with over 300 submissions.
• 20th July: The Slovenian EU Council Presidency hosts a virtual conference on AI regulation, ethics, and fundamental rights.
• 1st June: The European Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs adopts a report endorsing stronger safeguards against mass surveillance and discrimination within AI.
• 21st April: The European Commission proposes a regulation of artificial intelligence in the EU.