What it is

The European Commission’s AI Act Service Desk publishes the official implementation timeline. The page states that it “takes into account the AI Act amendments introduced by Digital Omnibus on AI” (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, in force since 27 July 2026), and marks the amended dates. The timeline is an explanatory tool; binding dates come from the regulation itself.

The timeline

DateMilestone
1 Aug 2024Entry into force
2 Feb 2025Prohibited practices and AI literacy apply
2 Aug 2025GPAI rules, governance, national penalty laws; AI Board, Scientific Panel, Advisory Forum
2 Aug 2026Most rules apply, including Article 50 transparency; enforcement begins
2 Dec 2026Ban on AI generating non-consensual sexual deepfakes and CSAM; Article 50(2) deadline for systems on the market before 2 Aug 2026
2 Aug 2027At least one regulatory sandbox per Member State
2 Dec 2027Annex III high-risk rules apply
2 Aug 2028Annex I high-risk rules apply; full roll-out foreseen

GPAI models placed on the market before 2 August 2025 have until 2 August 2027 to comply.

What changed versus older timelines

Before the Omnibus, high-risk Annex III rules were due on 2 August 2026 and Annex I rules on 2 August 2027. Many articles, slide decks, and vendor pages still show those dates.

Reuse terms

The Service Desk copyright notice applies CC BY 4.0 under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU: credit the title, attribute it to the European Union, and link to the page. Third-party content, identifiable people, logos, and trade marks are excluded.

Using the timeline in AI and RAG

  1. Store the timeline with its retrieval date; the page shows no last-updated date.
  2. Link each milestone to the article of the regulation that sets it.
  3. Flag pre-Omnibus dates in older documents in your index.
  4. Re-check after any further amendment.
  5. Attribute to the European Union in outputs.

Common mistakes

  • Citing the timeline as the legal source instead of the regulation.
  • Using pre-July 2026 dates.
  • Missing the December 2026 deepfake ban.
  • Forgetting the 2027 deadline for legacy GPAI models.

Checklist

  • Timeline stored with retrieval date
  • Milestones linked to articles
  • Old dates flagged in index
  • Attribution in outputs

How AskDona helps

AskDona checks your EU AI Act project plan against the current milestones and shows which deadlines each workstream covers, citing the timeline and the article.

Run a sample AI Act deadline check

AskDona shows the evidence; your compliance team decides.

Editor’s note. This article is general information, not legal advice. The “conditions to check” rating comes from our source list and is a first-pass judgment, not a legal opinion.

FAQ

What is the next AI Act deadline? 2 December 2026: the deepfake and CSAM ban and the Article 50(2) deadline for existing systems.

When do high-risk rules apply? 2 December 2027 (Annex III) and 2 August 2028 (Annex I).

Is the Service Desk timeline legally binding? No. It explains the dates; the regulation is binding.

Can I reuse the timeline? Yes, under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.

References

All pages opened and checked by October 26, 2026.

SourceWhat it supports
AI Act Service Desk: Implementation timelineCurrent milestones
AI Act Service Desk: Copyright noticeCC BY 4.0
Commission: AI Omnibus enters into forceIn force 27 July 2026
Commission: GPAI rules start to apply2 Aug 2027 for existing GPAI models