May 2026 – On 7 May 2026, the European Parliament and Council reached a political agreement to postpone the application of key obligations for high-risk AI systems under the EU AI Act. For standalone systems, including many HR and recruitment tools, the deadline is expected to move from 2 August 2026 to 2 December 2027.
The European Parliament and Council must now formally adopt the political agreement.
This is a welcome development for many organisations. It recognises that the compliance framework is still maturing, but it should not be misunderstood. The extension affects timing, not substance. The underlying legal and operational expectations remain unchanged.
Several of the AI Act’s most important provisions are already in force. Since 2 February 2025, certain AI practices have been prohibited outright, including the use of emotion recognition systems in the workplace. For most employers, no relevant exception applies. At the same time, organisations must ensure that staff and
