Co-legislators provisionally agreed on the Commission's simplification package, often called the AI omnibus. The agreement postpones, narrows, and clarifies obligations under Regulation (EU) 2024/1689. National parliamentary scrutiny and final adoption remain pending.
Application of Article 6 obligations for Annex III high-risk systems shifts to 2 December 2027. Annex I high-risk systems integrated into regulated products move to 2 August 2028. The deadline for national authorities to set up regulatory sandboxes under Article 57 shifts to 2 August 2027. Article 50 transparency rules still apply from 2 August 2026. The grace period for marking synthetic content drops from six months to three, with the new deadline on 2 December 2026. The Commission's draft Article 50 guidelines opened for consultation on 8 May 2026.
Providers of biometric identification, employment screening, education, credit-scoring, migration, and border-control AI gain time on conformity assessment, registration, and post-market monitoring. Deployers of integrated AI in machinery, toys, medical devices, and lifts gain time to align under the New Legislative Framework regime. Generative AI providers must prepare faster labelling and watermarking for content delivered to EU users. Providers facing market-entry decisions should track parliamentary plenary votes and trilogue outcomes before relying on the new dates.
The package introduces new Annex III categories, tightens definitions for general-purpose AI, and revises the prohibition list. National competent authority designations remain due 2 August 2026. The text still needs formal adoption by both institutions before entry into force. The AI Office continues to publish guidance independently.
Licentium advises providers, deployers, importers, and distributors on AI Act compliance, conformity-assessment scoping, risk classification, transparency notices, and post-market obligations, and coordinates EU counsel and notified bodies where needed. Contact us to scope a programme. Work we undertake includes AI Act gap analysis, fundamental rights impact assessments, GPAI documentation, Annex III scoping, and incident-reporting playbooks.
Source: Council of the EU, press release "Artificial intelligence: Council and Parliament agree to simplify and streamline rules", 7 May 2026, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2026/05/07/artificial-intelligence-council-and-parliament-agree-to-simplify-and-streamline-rules/, confirmed 15 May 2026.
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