EU AI Act overhaul could shift compliance timelines

The European Commission’s proposed Digital Omnibus on AI, published 19 November 2025, would streamline parts of the EU AI Act and adjust compliance deadlines before the law’s full application on 2 August 2026. The changes would affect companies that place, put into service or use AI systems in the EU, as well as manufacturers that integrate AI into hardware products.

The proposal would delay high-risk AI requirements by tying their application to the readiness of harmonised standards, common specifications or guidance. Long-stop dates would still apply: 2 December 2027 for Annex III systems and 2 August 2028 for systems embedded in or comprising regulated products. The European Commission could activate the rules earlier if it finds that adequate compliance measures exist, after which businesses would have six months or 12 months to comply depending on the system type.

Other changes include grace periods for legacy systems, broader use of sensitive data to detect and correct bias, removal of registration duties for systems assessed as not high-risk, softer treatment of codes of practice, more flexible post-market monitoring, expanded regulatory sandboxes and additional relief for SMEs and SMCs. The proposal still requires Council and Parliament approval, and failure to adopt amendments before August 2026 could leave companies facing the existing high-risk rules as drafted.