Brussels, BELGIUM – As European heads of state meet in Brussels today to tackle the bloc’s faltering competitiveness, the digital sector is calling for bold action: postpone implementation of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act until all missing elements are in place.
Key provisions of the EU AI Act – including crucial rules for General-Purpose AI (GPAI) models due to apply on 2 August – still lack essential guidance. With the European Commission about to miss the Act’s implementation deadlines, concerns are mounting.
A rushed rollout of the Act risks jeopardising the continent’s AI aspirations, including the Commission’s projected €3.4 trillion boost from AI to the EU economy by 2030.
Echoing appeals from various national governments and Members of the European Parliament in recent days, the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA Europe) urges EU heads of state and government to acknowledge the immense risks of implementing the AI Act without a finalised framework.
EU leaders must act now, instructing the Commission to adapt its unrealistic timeline in order to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the AI Act. A bold ‘stop-the-clock’ intervention is urgently needed to give AI developers and deployers legal certainty, as long as necessary standards remain unavailable or delayed.
CCIA Europe stresses that additional time would allow the legal framework to be completed, give companies a fair compliance window, and ensure the Act supports – rather than hinders – GPAI development across the European Union.
The following can be attributed to CCIA Europe’s Senior Vice President & Head of Office, Daniel Friedlaender:
“Europe cannot lead on AI with one foot on the brake. With critical parts of the AI Act still missing just weeks before rules kick in, we need a pause to get the Act right, or risk stalling innovation altogether.”
The following can be attributed to CCIA Europe’s Senior Policy Manager, Boniface de Champris:
“If the EU is serious about turning its €3.4 trillion AI promise into reality, it must act now. Reflecting growing concerns among governments and AI innovators, the Commission should be instructed to pause and simplify – giving companies a fair shot to comply and compete.”
