European Parliament, Council reach provisional agreement to simplify AI rules

The European Council and European Parliament negotiators reached a provisional agreement to simplify and streamline parts of the bloc’s artificial intelligence rules, while adding new safeguards against abusive AI-generated content.

They agreed on amendments linked to the implementation of the EU’s AI Act as part of the bloc’s broader simplification agenda, according to a council statement released Thursday.

The agreement would delay, up to 16 months, the application of certain rules for high-risk AI systems to allow more time for technical standards and tools to be prepared.

Under the deal, rules for stand-alone high-risk AI systems would apply from Dec. 2, 2027, while obligations for high-risk systems embedded in products would start on Aug. 2, 2028.

The agreement also introduces a new ban on AI practices involving the creation of non-consensual sexual and intimate content or child sexual abuse material.

The revised rules would extend some regulatory exemptions to small mid-cap companies and postpone the deadline for national AI regulatory sandboxes until August 2027.

Lawmakers also agreed to shorten the grace period for providers to implement transparency measures for AI-generated content from six months to three months.

The provisional agreement must now be endorsed by the council and the European Parliament before being submitted to a legal/linguistic revision with a view to the formal adoption of the legislative act by the co-legislators in the coming weeks, according to the statement.