Key facts
- Political agreement reached 7 May 2026 — not yet final law.
- Defers high-risk Annex III obligations to 2 December 2027 (from the original 2026 date).
- Defers high-risk Annex I (product-embedded) obligations to 2 August 2028.
- Article 50 transparency and GPAI obligations are unaffected — still live 2 Aug 2025 (GPAI) and 2 Aug 2026 (transparency).
- Treat the new high-risk dates as likely but not certain until Official Journal publication.
What is the Digital Omnibus?
It is a European Commission initiative to simplify and streamline several EU digital regulations at once, including elements of the AI Act, in response to industry feedback that the original timeline was too tight for high-risk compliance.
What actually changed for the EU AI Act?
The main change is timing, not substance: the high-risk obligations that would otherwise have started biting sooner are deferred. Annex III (use-based high-risk, e.g. recruitment, credit scoring) moves to 2 December 2027; Annex I (product-embedded high-risk, e.g. safety components in regulated products) moves to 2 August 2028.
What has not changed
Prohibited-practice bans and the Article 4 AI-literacy duty (in force since 2 February 2025), GPAI provider obligations (2 August 2025), and Article 50 transparency duties (2 August 2026) are unaffected by the Digital Omnibus proposal.
Why treat this as provisional
Political agreement is not the same as law. The text still needs formal adoption and Official Journal publication before the new dates are legally certain. If you are planning a high-risk compliance programme, build in a buffer and confirm OJ status before relying on the deferred dates for anything time-critical. See the full EU AI Act timeline for how this fits together.
Frequently asked questions
Did the Digital Omnibus delay the EU AI Act?
The May 2026 provisional agreement deferred high-risk obligations — Annex III to December 2027, product-embedded to August 2028 — and some other duties; final adoption is still pending in the Official Journal.
What is the deadline I should care about most?
For most organisations: 2 August 2026 for transparency and GPAI governance, plus getting your high-risk classification sorted ahead of the 2027 deadlines.
Is the EU AI Act definitely delayed for high-risk systems?
The delay reflects a political agreement reached in May 2026; it is highly likely to become final but is not yet confirmed in the Official Journal.
Does the Digital Omnibus affect GPAI or transparency obligations?
No — GPAI provider obligations (from 2 August 2025) and Article 50 transparency duties (from 2 August 2026) are unaffected.
What's the first step to EU AI Act compliance?
Build an AI inventory and classify each system by risk — you can't comply with obligations you haven't mapped.
Related pages
Sources
Last updated 19 June 2026.