Brussels, Feb 3: The 27 member states of the European Union (EU) have unanimously endorsed the bloc’s “landmark legislation” governing the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI), also known as the EU AI Act, according to European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton.
Breton described the move as “historic, world first, pioneering” on the social media platform X, emphasizing that negotiators have found the “perfect balance between innovation and safety.”
In December, EU lawmakers and member states reached a political agreement on the key provisions of the AI Act, hailed by the European Commission as the “first-ever comprehensive legal framework on AI worldwide”. However, the complexity of the legislation prompted months-long technical refinement, during which countries like France and Germany expressed concerns particularly regarding the stringent regulatory rules for powerful AI models, prompting a new round of discussions on its contents, Xinhua news agency reported. The European Parliament is anticipated to vote on the finalized text in March or April before it becomes law, with the AI Act slated to enter into force 20 days after publication in the official journal.
While the legislation will not take immediate effect, certain rules will be implemented within six months, and other aspects will be enforced two years later.
EU worried about extension of Gaza conflict
The European Union on Saturday expressed deep concern over reports that the Israeli military intends to take its battle against Hamas to the town of Rafah at Gaza’s border with Egypt where more than a million people have escaped the fighting.
The EU’s top diplomat warned that conflict is likely to spread throughout the region unless a cease-fire is agreed between Israel and Hamas, after U.S. airstrikes hit dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that around 1 million Palestinians “have been displaced progressively against the Egyptian border. They claimed they were safe zones, but in fact what we see is that the bombing affecting the civilian population continues and it is creating a very dire situation.” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Thursday that after Israeli troops seize the southern city of Khan Younis, from where tens of thousands of people have fled, they will move on to Rafah. He did not give a time frame. (Agencies)
