The European Parliament has agreed its position on the AI Act aspects of the Digital Omnibus proposals. This follows two committee reports and the Council’s position earlier in March.
The proposal would delay the application of certain rules on high-risk artificial intelligence systems, with the aim of making sure that guidance and standards to help companies with implementation are ready.
MEPs have suggested the following dates for certain provisions to come into application with the aim of helping predictability and legal certainty:
- For high-risk AI systems specifically listed in the AI Act (including those involving biometrics, and those used in critical infrastructure, education, employment, essential services, law enforcement, justice and border management), MEPs propose 2 December 2027.
- For AI systems that are covered by EU sectoral legislation on safety and market surveillance, MEPs propose 2 August 2028.
- To comply with rules on watermarking AI-created audio, image, video or text content to indicate its origin, MEPS propose 2 November 2026.
Ban on nudifier apps
MEPs want to introduce a new ban on “nudifier” systems that use AI to create or manipulate images that are sexually explicit or intimate and resemble an identifiable real person without that person’s consent. The ban would not apply to AI systems with effective safety measures preventing users from creating such images.
Measures to increase flexibility and support small mid-cap enterprises
MEPs are in favour of allowing service providers to process personal data to detect and correct biases in AI systems, but want safeguards aimed at making sure this is done only when strictly necessary.
To help EU companies scale up as they outgrow small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) status, where they enjoy certain support measures, MEPs backed the proposed extension of these measures to small mid-cap enterprises (SMCs).
To prevent overlapping application of sector-specific EU product safety rules and the AI Act, MEPs argue that obligations under the AI Act can be less stringent for products already regulated under sectoral laws (for example, medical devices, radio equipment, toy safety, and others).
Next steps
Negotiations with the Council on the final form of the law can now begin. The European Parliament continues to look at the other aspects of the Digital Omnibus, including changes to data use and data protection.
