EU AI Act applicability timeline

When each layer of obligations starts to apply — including deadlines moved by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (the Digital Omnibus on AI, in force 27 July 2026).

• 2025-02-02 — Prohibited practices (Art. 5) apply
  Prohibited practice · Art. 5 AIA · European Commission — Regulatory framework for AI
• 2025-08-02 — GPAI model obligations apply
  GPAI model, GPAI model with systemic risk · Art. 53 AIA · European Commission — Regulatory framework for AI
• 2026-08-02 — Article 50 transparency obligations apply; enforcement powers arrive
  Limited-risk / transparency · Art. 50 AIA · European Commission — Regulatory framework for AI
• 2026-12-02 — Art. 50(2) marking grace period ends — generative AI systems already on the market before 2 August 2026 must mark synthetic output as machine-readable (Art. 111(4), inserted by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744)
  Limited-risk / transparency · European Commission — Article 50 FAQ (grace period for Art. 50(2)) · Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), in force 27 July 2026
• 2026-12-02 — New Article 5 prohibitions apply — AI systems that generate or manipulate non-consensual intimate material (Art. 5(1)(ba)) or child sexual abuse material (Art. 5(1)(bb)), with the scope rules in Art. 5(1a)–(1b) (inserted by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744; date set by amended Art. 113(3)(a))
  Prohibited practice · Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), in force 27 July 2026 · Art. 5 AIA
• 2027-12-02 — Stand-alone high-risk (Annex III) obligations apply (moved from 2026-08-02: Deferred ~16 months by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), adopted 8 July 2026, in force 27 July 2026.)
  High-risk (Annex III use case) · Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), in force 27 July 2026
• 2028-08-02 — High-risk regulated-product (Annex I) obligations apply (moved from 2027-08-02: Deferred ~12 months by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), adopted 8 July 2026, in force 27 July 2026.)
  High-risk (Annex I regulated product) · Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI), in force 27 July 2026

Not legal advice. This is a practitioner reference generated from a cited knowledge base built on the primary legal text and official Commission guidance. Verify against the cited primary sources before relying on it for a compliance decision. See editorial standards & methodology.