What happened. The Omnibus was proposed by the Commission on 19 November 2025, adopted on 8 July 2026 and published in the Official Journal on 24 July 2026. It entered into force on the third day after publication.
What changed. Application of the high-risk obligations (Chapter III, Sections 1-3 of the AI Act) is postponed from 2 August 2026 to 2 December 2027 for Annex III use cases, and to 2 August 2028 for AI embedded in regulated products. The recitals give the delayed availability of standards and of national competent authorities as reasons. Prohibited practices (since February 2025) and general-purpose AI obligations (since August 2025) already apply.
Why it matters for governance. Annex III covers areas such as access to essential public services and the administration of justice, so safeguards for public-sector AI will bind later than first planned.
What to watch. Whether standards and authorities are ready by December 2027.
Original source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series, 24.7.2026