This week at a glance
- The Council formally adopted the AI Omnibus on June 29. Official Journal publication is expected between July 18 and 25, with entry into force three days later
- The August 2 obligations don’t move: Article 50 transparency is live, and Article 50(2) watermarking has no grace period for new systems launched after that date
- Ireland took over the Council Presidency on July 1, inheriting a Data Legislation Omnibus that Cyprus couldn’t close
- Two consultation deadlines worth noting: high-risk AI classification (July 23) and the AI-generated content Code of Practice signatory window (July 22)
What actually changed this week
The Council’s formal adoption on June 29 closed the legislative cycle on the AI Omnibus. Parliament, Council, signature by both institution presidents, all done. What’s left: publication in the Official Journal, then entry into force three days after that.
Per a Decision Focus analysis citing EUR-Lex, OJ publication is expected between July 18 and 25, 2026. That puts entry into force in the last week of July, just days before the AI Act’s original August 2 obligations kick in. The deferrals to December 2, 2027 (Annex III) and August 2, 2028 (Annex I) become legally binding only from that moment.
Until OJ publication happens, the original AI Act timeline is still what applies as a matter of law.
What August 2 still requires, regardless of the Omnibus
The Omnibus moves a lot, but not everything. Three obligations remain on the original timeline:
- Article 50 transparency: live August 2. Interactive AI systems, emotion recognition, biometric categorisation, and deepfakes all need transparency measures in place
- Article 50(2) watermarking: December 2, 2026 for legacy systems, immediate for anything launched after August 2. No grace period for new generative AI features
- GPAI obligations under Articles 51-55: original schedule, unaffected by the Omnibus
The Decision Focus piece frames the 16-month Annex III extension not as relief but as a “governance build window.” That’s the right framing. Teams that get the most out of the deferral treat December 2026 (watermarking) and August 2026 (transparency) as the real near-term milestones.
For a compact overview of what the adoption means practically, Addleshaw Goddard’s July 1 briefing is a useful reference.
Ireland takes over, Data Omnibus heads into fresh negotiations
On July 1, Ireland assumed the rotating Council Presidency, inheriting a Digital Legislation Omnibus (GDPR, ePrivacy, Data Act) that the Cyprus Presidency could not close. The Council vote scheduled for June 29 was pulled from the agenda on June 27 after Germany rallied enough Member State opposition to block it.
The unresolved provisions are the ones that matter most for privacy and consent operations: browser-level consent signals, the personal data redefinition after pseudonymisation, and cookie whitelists. There’s no confirmed timeline for the Irish Presidency to broker a Council general approach. Formal progress isn’t expected before autumn.
IAPP’s Isabelle Roccia captured the tone on July 1: “The Digital Omnibus negotiations are still underway and are proving challenging.” The piece also flags a parallel risk on the transatlantic side, where the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on FTC commissioner dismissals is putting fresh pressure on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
Also this week
High-risk classification consultation still open. The Commission’s consultation on draft guidelines for classifying high-risk AI systems runs until July 23. With deferred enforcement dates now confirmed, these guidelines will become the practical benchmark for market surveillance authorities. Compliance and product teams have a direct input channel here.
Code of Practice on AI-generated content: July 22 signatory deadline. The Commission’s AI Office is inviting providers and deployers of generative AI systems to sign the voluntary Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content by July 22 at 18:00 CEST. Signatories get listed publicly ahead of the August 2 application date. Signing doesn’t grant automatic compliance, but the Code’s measures function as documented evidence of good-faith compliance efforts. Worth considering for any team shipping generative AI features.
Worth watching
- OJ publication of the AI Omnibus. Expected between July 18 and 25. Entry into force three days after.
- August 2, 2026. Original Article 50 transparency, watermarking for new systems, and GPAI obligations all apply from that date, regardless of the OJ publication window.
- The Code of Practice signatory list. After July 22, the publicly named signatories become a reference point for what “good-faith compliance” looks like on watermarking.
- Ireland’s opening moves on the Data Omnibus. Any signal on scope, timing, or the fate of Articles 88a/88b will matter. Autumn is the realistic window.