EU and Parliament Fail to Reach Agreement on AI Act Omnibus After 12-Hour Negotiations

European Union trilogue negotiations on the AI Act Omnibus collapsed on 28 April after 12 hours of talks in Brussels, with the core dispute centering on whether AI systems embedded in products already covered by EU sectoral safety legislation should be exempt from the AI Act's requirements. The European Parliament pushed for carve-outs that would shift high-risk AI governance to sectoral laws covering medical devices, machinery, toys, and connected cars, while the Council and Commission opposed this to preserve the AI Act's horizontal framework. MEP Michael McNamara and over 40 civil society organizations warned the Parliament's approach could be deregulatory, and standards chair Sebastian Hallensleben stated structural changes would invalidate years of CEN-CENELEC technical work. A follow-up trilogue is expected in mid-May, with enforcement of the already-passed AI Act's high-risk provisions set to begin 2 August 2026.

Breakdown of AI Act Omnibus Negotiations

• ▪The European Commission introduced the AI Act Omnibus package in November 2025
• ▪A follow-up trilogue on the AI Act Omnibus is anticipated in mid-May, two weeks after the 28 April session
• ▪The 28 April trilogue was the second and final session scheduled to negotiate the AI Act Omnibus package
• ▪The European Union trilogue negotiations on the AI Act Omnibus broke down on 28 April after 12 hours of deliberations in Brussels
• ▪The European Parliament, Council of the European Union, and European Commission had aligned on a deadline of 2 August 2028 for AI embedded in regulated products
• ▪The European Parliament, Council of the European Union, and European Commission had aligned on new fixed deadlines of 2 December 2027 for standalone Annex III high-risk AI systems

Dispute Over Product-Embedded AI Systems and Sectoral Exemptions

• ▪The Council of the European Union and European Commission did not support exempting product-embedded AI systems from the AI Act during the 28 April trilogue
• ▪The European Parliament pushed for a carve-out exempting product-embedded AI systems from the AI Act's requirements during the 28 April trilogue

Implications for Enforcement Deadlines and Compliance Planning

• ▪The EU AI Act's transparency requirements for new generative AI systems apply from 2 August 2026 for systems launched on or after that date