EU AI Act dates and guidance, tracked
Which EU AI Act obligations apply when, after the 2026 AI Omnibus moved the high-risk deadlines, plus harmonised standards and fines. Updated when a date or a standard changes.
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The EU AI Act applies in stages, and the stages have already moved once. This tracker keeps the dates that apply today, the changes that moved them, and the guidance and standards that make the obligations concrete. Sources are the European Commission, its AI Act Service Desk and the European Parliament. I update it when a date, a standard or a major piece of guidance changes. How the Act fits with ISO/IEC 42001 and the NIST AI RMF is in AI transformation frameworks compared.
As of 27 October 2026: the Act applies generally since 2 August 2026. The AI Omnibus, in force since 27 July 2026, moved the high-risk obligations to 2 December 2027 (Annex III) and 2 August 2028 (Annex I), softened the AI literacy duty and added a new ban. The first harmonised standard, EN 18286 for quality management, was published in October 2026.
Dates that apply now
EU AI Act: what applies when
| 1 August 2024 | The Act enters into force | In force |
|---|---|---|
| 2 February 2025 | Prohibited practices and the AI literacy duty | Applies |
| 2 August 2025 | Obligations for general-purpose AI models, and governance | Applies; models already on the market have until 2 August 2027 |
| 2 August 2026 | General application: transparency rules (Article 50) and enforcement | Applies |
| 2 December 2026 | New ban on systems that generate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material; marking deadline for generative systems already on the market | Coming |
| 2 August 2027 | At least one AI regulatory sandbox in every Member State | Coming |
| 2 December 2027 | High-risk systems in Annex III: employment, education, biometrics, critical infrastructure and others | Coming (originally 2 August 2026) |
| 2 August 2028 | High-risk AI in regulated products under Annex I, such as medical devices and machinery | Coming (originally 2 August 2027) |
Source: European Commission, AI Act Service Desk: Timeline for the implementation of the EU AI Act; Article 113 (consolidated)
How the dates moved: the AI Omnibus
The AI Omnibus, step by step
| 19 November 2025 | Commission proposal, with high-risk rules tied to the availability of standards |
|---|---|
| 7 May 2026 | Provisional agreement between Parliament and Council, with fixed dates instead |
| 16 June 2026 | Adopted by the European Parliament |
| 29 June 2026 | Adopted by the Council |
| 24 July 2026 | Published in the Official Journal as Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 |
| 27 July 2026 | In force |
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory, procedure 2025/0359(COD); European Commission
Besides the dates, the Omnibus:
- Softened AI literacy. Providers and deployers must take measures to support their staff's AI literacy, without having to guarantee any particular level (Article 4).
- Added a ban on AI systems that generate non-consensual intimate content or child sexual abuse material, from 2 December 2026.
- Extended relief for small and medium-sized enterprises to small mid-caps, including lower fine caps.
Standards and guidance
In October 2026 the first harmonised standard under the Act, EN 18286 on quality management systems, was cited in the Official Journal. Following it gives a presumption of conformity with the quality management requirement in Article 17, and the Commission describes it as designed to be layered on top of standards such as ISO/IEC 42001 (European Commission). More harmonised standards are expected before the high-risk dates.
Maximum fines
EU AI Act: maximum fines
| Prohibited practices | EUR 35 million or 7% of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher |
|---|---|
| Most other obligations, including transparency | EUR 15 million or 3% |
| Incorrect or misleading information to authorities | EUR 7.5 million or 1% |
| General-purpose AI model providers (Article 101) | EUR 15 million or 3% |
For SMEs, start-ups and small mid-caps, the lower of the two amounts applies.
Source: AI Act Service Desk: Article 99 (consolidated)
Changelog
- 27 October 2026. First version: dates after the AI Omnibus, EN 18286, fines.
Sources
- European Commission. AI Act: regulatory framework for AI.
- AI Act Service Desk. Timeline for the implementation of the EU AI Act.
- AI Act Service Desk. Article 113: Entry into force and application (consolidated).
- AI Act Service Desk. Article 4: AI literacy (consolidated).
- AI Act Service Desk. Article 99: Penalties (consolidated).
- European Parliament Legislative Observatory. Procedure 2025/0359(COD).
- European Commission (October 2026). First harmonised standard supporting the AI Act published in the Official Journal.
How to cite
Ivan Bardak. "EU AI Act dates and guidance, tracked". bardak.ai, updated October 29, 2026. https://bardak.ai/posts/eu-ai-act-dates
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