The European Commission has confirmed a significant delay in the release of the Code of Practice for the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act, pushing its implementation to the end of 2025 - a substantial setback from the original May 2025 deadline.
A code of practice designed to help thousands of companies comply with the European Union's landmark artificial intelligence rules may only apply at the end of 2025, the European Commission said on Thursday. Major tech companies including Alphabet's Google, Meta Platforms, and European firms such as Mistral and ASML have called for a delay in implementing the AI Act, partly due to the lack of a code of practice.
A Commission spokesperson confirmed that "the European AI Board is discussing the timing to implement the Code of Practice, with the end of 2025 being considered." While the Commission is set for general-purpose AI (GPAI) rules to come into force next month, its plan to publish key guidance to help companies comply with these rules by year-end would mark a six-month delay from its May deadline. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen had earlier promised to publish the AI Code of Practice before August.
The code will detail the AI Act rules for providers of general-purpose AI models, ensuring that AI is safe and trustworthy, covering topics such as transparency and copyrights. "The AI Office is facilitating the drawing-up of a Code of Practice to detail out these rules," according to the Commission. "The code should represent a central tool for providers to demonstrate compliance with the AI Act, incorporating state-of-the-art practices."
For AI companies, particularly those developing general-purpose models, the enforcement of the act means additional compliance costs and stricter requirements. Many companies are currently unsure how to comply with the rules as there are no guidelines yet available. The Commission plans to present the code in the coming days and expects companies to sign up next month, with the guidance likely to kick in at the end of the year. "On the AI Act's GPAI rules, the European AI Board is discussing the timing to implement the Code of Practice, with the end of 2025 being considered," a Commission spokesperson said.
The delay has prompted strong reactions from the industry. "To address the uncertainty this situation is creating, we urge the Commission to propose a two-year 'clock-stop' on the AI Act before key obligations enter into force," said an open letter published on Thursday by a group of 45 European companies. Signing up to the code is voluntary, but companies who decline to do so will not benefit from the legal certainty provided to signatories. AI advocacy group The Future Society noted that the Code would be a key part of the AI rule book, making clear what level of quality downstream users or business customers can expect.
Despite the delay, the AI Act rules on general-purpose AI will still become effective in August 2025. The AI Office is continuing its work on the Code of Practice, which should represent a central tool for providers to demonstrate compliance with the AI Act.