Leaders of the 27 European Union countries meet on Friday in Dublin for the first joint meeting dedicated to artificial intelligence, with the aim of accelerating efforts for safer and more competitive AI. According to Politico, many governments are simultaneously missing important deadlines in the areas of security and infrastructure.
Sixteen member states have missed the deadline for appointing a national body to implement the EU artificial intelligence law. The Commission confirmed that six countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia and Hungary, have not selected a competent body, while ten others have made only a temporary decision that is yet to be adopted. The deadline was August 2025.
Member of the European Parliament Sergey Lagodinsky from the German Greens assessed that the delays undermine the credibility of governments when they speak about European ambitions in artificial intelligence. In a letter seen by Politico, he asked the European Commission to launch formal proceedings against countries that do not fulfill their legal obligations.
In addition to security, European Council President António Costa stated in his invitation letter that a key topic will be reducing Europe's dependence on the US and China in the technologies that underpin artificial intelligence. However, Brussels has also postponed plans to support seven European AI computing centers, a project worth 30 billion euros. The deadline for consortia to express interest has been extended for the second time in a row, with the explanation that member states need to complete national budget procedures.
What this means for businesses
For companies planning investments in artificial intelligence in the EU, delays in appointing national bodies mean uncertainty about who will oversee the implementation of the law and how the rules will be enforced in practice. The postponement of support for computing centers may slow down the availability of infrastructure and increase costs for firms that depend on local data processing capacities. The business sector should count on longer deadlines and monitor the decisions of national governments, as they directly affect business conditions.
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