The Council of the EU gave final approval on 29 June 2026 to the Digital AI Omnibus, amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (the EU AI Act). The European Parliament had endorsed the package on 16 June 2026. Formal publication in the Official Journal of the EU was anticipated in July 2026. The amendments adjust application dates for high-risk AI system obligations and add new prohibited AI practices.
The Omnibus package amends application dates in Article 6 and transitional provisions of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689. Standalone high-risk AI systems must comply by 2 December 2027, extended from 2 August 2026. High-risk AI systems embedded in products under EU harmonisation legislation face a final date of 2 August 2028. Article 5 of the Regulation gains a new prohibition on AI systems that generate non-consensual intimate imagery or child sexual abuse material. That prohibition takes effect in December 2026. Article 50 transparency obligations, requiring machine-readable marking of AI-generated content, are unaffected and apply from 2 August 2026.
AI deployers and providers in regulated product sectors gain substantially more preparation time before high-risk obligations apply. Affected sectors include financial services, medical devices, transport, and employment screening. Businesses that had been tracking the August 2026 compliance date must revise their implementation schedules. AI system providers already in market under EU harmonisation legislation should determine whether the 2 August 2028 date applies to their products. All providers and deployers of generative AI systems still face the 2 August 2026 Article 50 transparency deadline. That deadline requires machine-readable marks on AI-generated outputs and labelling of deepfake content.
General-purpose AI model providers under Articles 51 to 56 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 are unaffected by the high-risk deadline changes, as those obligations entered application in August 2025. The AI Office's Scientific Panel, appointed on 1 June 2026, continues to support enforcement across all transition periods. The Commission is expected to publish implementing acts covering technical specifications for high-risk AI system documentation and conformity assessment procedures.
Licentium advises businesses deploying or developing AI systems in regulated sectors on EU AI Act classification and compliance. Our partner network includes specialists in GPAI model compliance and high-risk AI conformity assessment. We help clients prepare technical documentation, AI governance structures, and transparency measures under Regulation (EU) 2024/1689. Work we undertake includes EU AI Act system classification, technical documentation preparation, prohibited AI practice assessment, and Article 50 transparency implementation.