Council of the EU approves the Digital Omnibus on AI

The Council of the EU, as the second co-legislator, has given its final green light to the Digital Omnibus on AI (part of the so-called 'Omnibus VII'), completing the legislative procedure after the European Parliament's approval on 16 June 2026; the consolidated text is designated PE-CONS 30/26 (file 2025/0359/COD). The act now awaits signature by the Presidents of both institutions and prompt publication in the Official Journal, where under its Article 4 it enters into force on the third day after publication. This confirms the postponed application of obligations for high-risk AI systems (to 2 December 2027 and 2 August 2028 respectively), the delayed deadline for national AI regulatory sandboxes (to 2 August 2027), and the shortened three-month transition for marking AI-generated content, now due by 2 December 2026. AI systems generating non-consensual intimate content (so-called nudifier apps) and CSAM are newly prohibited as of 2 December 2026.