What the Digital Omnibus on AI actually changed
The practical mistake is saying the AI Act was delayed. Some deadlines moved. Others did not.
Legal status caveat. The Digital Omnibus on AI reached political agreement on May 7, 2026; the European Parliament formally endorsed it June 16, 2026 and the Council gave final approval June 29, 2026. The deferred dates take legal effect only upon publication in the Official Journal, with entry into force on the third day after publication, which is expected imminently / before Aug 2, 2026.
Status last verified:
Status last verified:
Before and after table
| Obligation | Original date | Current date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| National AI regulatory sandboxes must be established | August 2, 2026 | August 2, 2027 | Deferred by Omnibus |
| Machine-readable marking grace period ends for older generative systems | August 2, 2026 | December 2, 2026 | Deferred by Omnibus |
| New prohibition on AI systems for generating NCII and CSAM takes effect | Added by Omnibus | December 2, 2026 | Deferred by Omnibus |
| Standalone high-risk AI obligations under Annex III apply | August 2, 2026 | December 2, 2027 | Deferred by Omnibus |
| High-risk AI obligations for Annex I regulated products apply | August 2, 2027 | August 2, 2028 | Deferred by Omnibus |
| Article 50 transparency obligations apply | August 2, 2026 | August 2, 2026 | Not deferred |
The centerpiece that did not move
Users must be informed when interacting with an AI system; AI-generated or manipulated content, including deepfakes, must be disclosed; disclosure duties apply for emotion-recognition and biometric-categorization systems. Article 49 EU database registration framework and governance/enforcement provisions also apply. This date was not deferred.