What is the EU AI Act?
The EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) is the first comprehensive, horizontal AI law: it regulates AI by risk tier: prohibited practices, high-risk systems, transparency-tier systems and general-purpose AI models: rather than by sector. It entered into force on 1 August 2024 and applies in stages.
The dates that matter in 2026
- 2 February 2025: prohibitions (Article 5) and AI literacy (Article 4) apply;
- 2 August 2025: GPAI obligations (Article 53) apply to new models;
- 2 August 2026: Article 50 transparency applies and GPAI enforcement powers begin: not postponed;
- 2 December 2027: high-risk (Annex III) obligations apply, after the digital-omnibus postponement;
- August 2028: Annex I embedded-AI product obligations.
Extraterritorial reach
The Act binds providers placing systems on the EU market and: the clause that catches Turkish companies: providers and deployers located anywhere, where the output of the system is used in the EU. Server location is irrelevant. Non-EU providers of high-risk systems and GPAI models must appoint an EU authorised representative. See how the Act binds a Turkish startup.
Penalties and enforcement
Fines reach €35M/7% for prohibited practices, €15M/3% for most other violations: enforced by national market surveillance authorities and, for GPAI, the Commission’s AI Office (see our enforcement guide). Türkiye’s draft AI law (2/2234) copies the tier logic.
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The regulation, the 2026 Omnibus, Commission guidelines, the GPAI and transparency codes of practice, templates and the post-Omnibus application dates.
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