On 29 June 2026, the Council of the European Union gave its final approval to the AI Omnibus Regulation, part of the EU's Omnibus VII legislative simplification agenda. The Regulation enters into force on the third day following publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Its amendments to Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 are transitional and simplification measures, not a fundamental revision of the EU AI Act.
The AI Omnibus amends Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 in three operative respects. First, it extends application dates for high-risk AI system obligations: stand-alone high-risk AI systems under Article 6(2) and Annex III now apply from 2 December 2027, and high-risk AI systems embedded in regulated products under Article 6(1) apply from 2 August 2028. Second, it inserts a new prohibition on AI practices that generate, or assist in generating, non-consensual intimate imagery or child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including applications that digitally remove clothing from images of real persons; this prohibition takes effect December 2026. Third, it postpones the deadline for EU member states to establish national AI regulatory sandboxes under Article 53 to 2 August 2027.
High-risk AI system providers in regulated product sectors (medical devices, machinery, vehicles, and other Annex III categories) gain additional time before Articles 9 through 15 conformity obligations apply. Developers and deployers of generative AI models must audit their systems for potential CSAM or non-consensual intimate imagery generation capabilities by December 2026, before the extended high-risk AI deadlines arrive. Businesses planning AI regulatory sandbox participation should revisit timelines with national competent authorities against the revised August 2027 setup deadline.
The Omnibus does not alter EU AI Act provisions already in force, including the prohibited practice provisions under Article 5 (applicable since 2 February 2025) or the general-purpose AI model obligations under Articles 51 through 56 (applicable since 2 August 2025). The precise entry-into-force date depends on Official Journal publication, which was pending as of 24 July 2026.
Licentium advises on EU AI Act compliance and helps clients assess the effect of the Omnibus amendments on existing conformity programs and product development timelines. We work with AI developers, regulated product manufacturers, and AI deployers across EU and UK jurisdictions. Work we undertake includes EU AI Act conformity assessments, prohibited practice audits, high-risk AI system classification, GPAI model governance, and regulatory sandbox participation strategy.