The AI Act's remaining provisions largely apply from 2 August 2026, while Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 sets the high-risk dates at 2 December 2027 for Annex III systems and 2 August 2028 for Annex I embedded systems.
Status note. Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 defers the high-risk tracks, not the AI Act as a whole. Article 50 still applies from 2 August 2026; only the Article 50(2) machine-readable marking duty moves to 2 December 2026 for systems placed on the market before 2 August 2026.
What changed
Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (the AI Act) entered into force on 1 August 2024 and applies in phases. Prohibited practices and AI-literacy duties have applied since 2 February 2025; obligations for general-purpose AI models since 2 August 2025. On 2 August 2026 the remaining provisions largely enter into application. Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, published on 24 July and in force from 27 July 2026, amends only the high-risk timetable: requirements for stand-alone Annex III systems apply from 2 December 2027 and those for high-risk AI embedded in Annex I regulated products from 2 August 2028.
Why it matters
2 August 2026 remains a real milestone outside the deferred high-risk track. Treating the omnibus as a blanket delay risks missing obligations that still attach on that date; ignoring it risks planning high-risk work against dates that are no longer binding.
Who is affected
Any organisation providing or deploying AI systems in the EU — with the sharpest impact on teams that scoped high-risk compliance work against 2 August 2026 and now need to split their plan into a still-current track and a deferred track.
Rolescompliance teamslegal teamsAI governance leadsproduct leads
OrganisationsAI providersAI deployersGPAI model providers
What to check next
- Map each obligation in your AI Act programme to its application date, separating the deferred high-risk track from what still applies on 2 August 2026
- Identify which of your systems are stand-alone Annex III high-risk versus embedded in regulated products — the two tracks carry different binding dates (December 2027 vs August 2028)
- Review supplier and customer commitments that reference the original 2 August 2026 high-risk date
- Re-baseline affected plans and contracts against Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 and retain the prior decision trail
Key dates
- 2025-02-02Prohibitions and AI-literacy duties apply
- 2025-08-02GPAI model obligations apply
- 2026-08-02General application of the remaining provisions
- 2027-12-02Annex III high-risk systems under Regulation (EU) 2026/1744
- 2028-08-02High-risk AI embedded in Annex I products under Regulation (EU) 2026/1744
Source. EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 ↗
Document: Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 — CELEX 32026R1744
Verified by Trusq against this source on 27 Jul 2026. Trusq publishes only what it can trace to an official source; the source text prevails. Not legal advice.
Document: Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 — CELEX 32026R1744
Verified by Trusq against this source on 27 Jul 2026. Trusq publishes only what it can trace to an official source; the source text prevails. Not legal advice.