EU AI Act: What Applies When
Which EU AI Act obligations apply from which date, and what has changed those dates? Every step we could find, dated, labelled and linked to its source.
22verified steps
5coming up
Coming up
Dates already fixed in law or in an order, soonest first. Each is counted from that day.
- 2 Dec 2026European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilTwo new prohibitions apply: AI systems that create non-consensual intimate images of identifiable people, and systems that generate child sexual abuse material. Generative AI systems already on the market before 2 August 2026 must also comply with machine-readable marking of AI output by this date.VerifiedApplies fromOfficial document →Archived copy
- 2 Aug 2027European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilGeneral-purpose AI models placed on the market before 2 August 2025 must comply by this date. Each Member State must also have at least one national AI regulatory sandbox running by this date.VerifiedApplies fromOfficial document →Archived copy
- 2 Dec 2027European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilHigh-risk requirements for stand-alone Annex III systems (such as biometrics, critical infrastructure, education, employment, essential services, law enforcement, migration, justice) apply from this date, replacing the original 2 August 2026.VerifiedDelayOfficial document →Archived copy
- 2 Aug 2028European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilHigh-risk requirements for AI in products covered by Annex I EU product law apply from this date, replacing the original 2 August 2027. Machinery moves to Annex I Section B, with delegated acts due to apply by the same date.VerifiedDelayOfficial document →Archived copy
On one timeline
One line per kind of step. Filled dots are counted; open dots are claimed, lifted or not yet in effect. Hover or tap a dot.
Every step
Newest first. Each verified entry counts once; claimed entries are shown and labelled but not counted.
What counts
A step counts when an EU institution adopts or publishes a legally binding act or official instrument that sets, triggers, delays or changes when an AI Act obligation applies: the Regulation itself and its application dates, amending regulations, implementing and delegated acts, and Commission guidelines or codes of practice that the Act provides for. Proposals not yet adopted, consultations and speeches are listed under related, not counted.
- 14 Oct 2026European UnionEuropean CommissionThe Commission published the reference of the first harmonised standard under the AI Act, EN 18286:2026 on quality management systems. Following it gives a presumption of conformity with the matching requirements.VerifiedImplementing actOfficial document →Archived copy
- 24 Jul 2026European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilThe Digital Omnibus on AI amended the AI Act before the high-risk rules were due. It moved high-risk obligations to 2 December 2027 (Annex III) and 2 August 2028 (Annex I products), added two new bans from 2 December 2026, gave a grace period for marking AI-generated content, and softened the AI literacy duty.VerifiedAmendmentApplies from 27 Jul 2026Official document →Archived copy
- 21 Jul 2026European UnionEuropean CommissionThe Commission adopted procedural rules for its own proceedings against general-purpose AI model providers: model evaluations, access to models, and opening and closing fine proceedings.VerifiedImplementing actApplies from 10 Aug 2026Official document →Archived copy
- 20 Jul 2026European UnionEuropean Commission (AI Office)The Commission adopted guidelines on the Article 50 transparency obligations for providers and deployers: chatbots, AI-generated content marking, emotion recognition and biometric categorisation, and deepfakes.VerifiedGuidelinesOfficial document →Archived copy
- 10 Jun 2026European UnionEuropean Commission (AI Office)The Commission published the final, voluntary Code of Practice on marking and labelling AI-generated content, covering providers' machine-readable marking and deployers' labelling of deepfakes and public-interest text.VerifiedCode of practiceOfficial document →Archived copy
- 1 Aug 2025European UnionEuropean Commission and AI BoardThe Commission, with the AI Board, assessed the GPAI Code of Practice and found it an adequate voluntary tool for showing compliance with the model-provider obligations.VerifiedCode of practiceOfficial document →Archived copy
- 24 Jul 2025European UnionEuropean Commission (AI Office)The AI Office published the template and explanatory notice for the public summary of content used to train general-purpose AI models.VerifiedGuidelinesOfficial document →Archived copy
- 18 Jul 2025European UnionEuropean Commission (AI Office)The Commission published guidelines on the scope of obligations for providers of general-purpose AI models: what a GPAI model is, when it has systemic risk, and who is the provider.VerifiedGuidelinesOfficial document →Archived copy
- 10 Jul 2025European UnionEuropean Commission (AI Office)The final General-Purpose AI Code of Practice was published, with chapters on transparency, copyright, and safety and security, as a voluntary way for model providers to show compliance.VerifiedCode of practiceOfficial document →Archived copy
- 10 Mar 2025European UnionEuropean CommissionThe Commission adopted the implementing act setting up the scientific panel of independent experts that supports enforcement on general-purpose AI models, including systemic-risk alerts.VerifiedImplementing actApplies from 30 Mar 2025Official document →Archived copy
- 6 Feb 2025European UnionEuropean Commission (AI Office)The Commission published guidelines on what counts as an 'AI system' under Article 3(1), which decides whether the Act applies at all.VerifiedGuidelinesOfficial document →Archived copy
- 4 Feb 2025European UnionEuropean Commission (AI Office)The Commission published guidelines explaining the Article 5 prohibited AI practices, two days after the bans began to apply.VerifiedGuidelinesOfficial document →Archived copy
- 12 Jul 2024European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilChapters I and II started to apply: the general provisions, including the AI literacy duty (Article 4), and the bans on prohibited AI practices (Article 5).VerifiedApplies fromApplies from 2 Feb 2025Official document →Archived copy
- 12 Jul 2024European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilObligations for providers of general-purpose AI models began to apply, together with the governance chapter, notified bodies, confidentiality and the penalties chapter. Commission fines on model providers were held back to 2 August 2026.VerifiedApplies fromApplies from 2 Aug 2025Official document →Archived copy
- 12 Jul 2024European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilThe AI Act's general date of application. The Article 50 transparency duties, Commission fines on general-purpose AI model providers (Article 101) and the remaining provisions apply. The high-risk requirements originally due on this date were moved by the Digital Omnibus.VerifiedApplies fromApplies from 2 Aug 2026Official document →Archived copy
- 12 Jul 2024European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilThe AI Act originally applied Article 6(1) high-risk rules (AI that is a safety component of, or is itself, a product under Annex I law) from 2 August 2027. That date no longer applies: the Digital Omnibus moved it to 2 August 2028.VerifiedSuperseded (date replaced)Applies from 2 Aug 2027Official document →Archived copy
- 12 Jul 2024European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilThe AI Act was signed on 13 June 2024 and published in the Official Journal on 12 July 2024. It sets a staggered timetable: most rules from 2 August 2026, with earlier and later dates for specific chapters.VerifiedLawApplies from 1 Aug 2024Official document →Archived copy
- 12 Jul 2024European UnionEuropean Parliament and CouncilThe AI Act entered into force on the twentieth day after publication. No obligations applied yet on this date; it starts the clock for the staggered dates.VerifiedApplies fromApplies from 1 Aug 2024Official document →Archived copy
How this thread is kept
Every entry links to the official document itself: the order, law, filing or statement, with an archived copy where one exists. Steps known only from news reports are left out, so our count can be lower than press tallies. New entries are added when we find their official text. How the Record works · Report an error or a missing step