AI policies in European Union

Apply AI Strategy

The Apply AI Strategy is a Commission communication that sets out how the EU intends to speed up use of AI across ten strategic sectors (such as healthcare, manufacturing, energy, mobility and defence) and in public administration. It combines sectoral flagship initiatives with cross-cutting support such as AI Factories, testing facilities and skills measures, and creates an Apply AI Alliance to coordinate industry, academia and public bodies. It sits within the broader AI Continent Action Plan and was presented together with a companion AI in Science strategy.

EU AI Act

Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 — Artificial Intelligence Act

The EU AI Act is a binding regulation that sets rules for developing, placing on the market and using AI systems in the European Union. It bans a small set of practices considered unacceptable, imposes detailed requirements on "high-risk" AI systems used in areas such as employment, education, credit, essential services, law enforcement and safety-critical products, requires transparency for chatbots and synthetic content, and creates separate duties for providers of general-purpose AI models. Obligations apply in phases between 2025 and 2027.