1 August 2024
The EU AI Act entered into force
The regulation entered into force twenty days after publication in the Official Journal. Its requirements apply in phases.
Source: European Commission: AI Act
01Research note
EU AI Act implementation timeline
The main application dates for organizations deploying AI in Europe. Every date below links to the European Commission or the regulation itself.
02Timeline
Application dates
The AI Act applies in phases. Classification and obligations depend on the intended purpose, provider role, deployer role and use context.
2 February 2025
Prohibited practices and AI literacy
The rules on prohibited AI practices and the obligation to support an appropriate level of AI literacy started applying.
Source: European Commission: AI Act
2 August 2025
Governance and general-purpose AI
Governance rules and obligations for providers of general-purpose AI models started applying.
Source: European Commission: AI Act
2 August 2026
Most remaining provisions
Most remaining provisions become applicable, subject to the specific exceptions and later dates in the implementation timeline.
2 December 2027
Certain high-risk areas
Under the current Commission timeline, rules for high-risk systems in areas including employment, education and access to essential services apply from this date.
Source: European Commission: AI Act
2 August 2028
High-risk AI embedded in regulated products
The current Commission timeline gives high-risk systems embedded in regulated products an extended transition period.
Source: European Commission: AI Act
03Use with care
Dates are not a classification
This timeline is general information, not legal advice. Whether an AI system is high-risk or subject to a specific obligation requires an assessment of its intended purpose and deployment context.