‘This closes a gap that has caused real uncertainty in the market’: Changes to EU AI Act implementation deadlines welcomed by industry

Changes made to the EU AI Act last week have been welcomed by industry stakeholders, but the move doesn’t mean enterprises can take their eye off the ball on AI governance.

Last week, a provisional agreement was reached between the European Parliament and EU Council on the Omnibus VII legislative package. This includes proposals which aim to simplify the union’s legislative landscape.

Under the deal, significant changes to the EU AI Act will be implemented, including a revised compliance timeline for AI systems deemed “high-risk” under the legislation, as well as extended exemptions for small-to-medium sized enterprises.

As part of the delayed high-risk rules, new application dates will be 2 December 2027 for stand-alone AI systems, and 2 August 2028 for high-risk AI systems embedded in products, according to the EU Council.

Similarly, agreement reinstates provider obligations to register AI systems in the EU database for high-risk systems.

Elsewhere, the provisional agreement also postpones the deadline for the implementation of AI regulatory sandboxes at a national level until 2 August 2027.

Henna Virkkunen, executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy at the European Commission, said the changes will help streamline implementation of the legislation.

“Our businesses and citizens want two things from AI rules. They want to be able to innovate and feel safe,” she said.

“Today’s agreement does both. With simpler and innovation-friendly rules, we make it easier to innovate without lowering the bar on safety. We are also making sure the tools supporting EU companies for a smooth implementation of the AI Act are ready.

“Meaningful changes” to the EU AI Act

The changes made to the legislation have been welcomed by industry stakeholders as a positive step toward streamlined implementation.

Mark Weir, regional director for the UK & Ireland at Check Point Software, said the alterations represent a “meaningful evolution in EU AI governance” that balances stronger protections alongside a practical approach to compliance.

“By harmonizing implementation across member states and reducing overlapping administrative obligations, the legislation removes genuine friction for organizations operating across Europe,” he said.

“Without clear guidance, even well-intentioned organisations struggle to translate broad principles into consistent practice,” Weir added.

“This closes a gap that has caused real uncertainty in the market. Taken together, these changes point toward a regulatory framework that is not just ambitious, but workable."

Weir noted that provider registration requirements are also a welcome move, and one that will give European legislators “real enforceability” over the EU’s digital sovereignty plans.

Levent Ergin, chief strategist for agentic AI, regulatory compliance, and sustainability at Informatica, echoed Weir’s comments but noted that the changes “shouldn’t detract from the need for better AI governance”.

“Businesses still need to ensure the data feeding their AI systems is governed, explainable, and built on trusted data foundations,” he said.

“Compliance is only part of the enabler of safe AI. Stronger governance, human oversight, and trusted context will ultimately determine which businesses can scale AI confidently and which struggle to move beyond experimentation.”

Looking ahead, the European Parliament and EU Council must not formally adopt the agreement.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow ITPro on Google News and add us as a preferred source to keep tabs on all our latest news, analysis, views, and reviews.

You can also follow ITPro on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and BlueSky.