The European Commission has rejected calls from major tech firms to delay its AI Act

The European Commission has dismissed requests from major tech companies to delay implementing its AI law. 

Artificial intelligence is finally getting a comprehensive regulatory framework despite industry leaders’ insistence that the new European regulations will slow innovation.

On Friday, the European Commission firmly dismissed calls from tech giants and EU-based companies asking it to pause or delay the rollout of the European Union’s landmark Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act).

EU rejects industry calls to delay AI law

Thomas Regnier, a commission spokesperson, clarified in a press briefing that the legislation will proceed exactly as planned. That means the EU will not consider a pause, grace period, or postponement, despite mounting complaints about compliance costs and operational burdens.

“I’ve seen, indeed, a lot of reporting, a lot of letters, and a lot of things being said on the AI Act. Let me be as clear as possible: there is no stop the clock. There is no grace period. There is no pause,” Regnier stated.

The AI Act will be the world’s first comprehensive framework for regulating artificial intelligence and was officially adopted earlier this year after intense negotiations among the EU’s 27 member states and institutions.

The Act categorizes AI systems by risk level and imposes progressively stricter obligations based on that classification. It particularly targets general-purpose AI (GPAI) models and high-risk applications such as biometric surveillance and critical infrastructure.

Provisions of the law began taking effect in February of 2025. Obligations for general-purpose AI models will begin in August 2025, while the strictest rules that target high-risk AI systems will apply starting in August 2026.

In recent days, major U.S. firms such as Google’s parent company Alphabet and Meta, as well as European firms like Dutch semiconductor giant ASML and French AI startup Mistral, have urged the Commission to delay the law’s implementation, with some even proposing delays of several years.

These companies are arguing that the regulatory burdens imposed by the AI Act may stifle innovation and unfairly penalize smaller players who lack the legal and financial resources to navigate complex compliance frameworks.

Several have also raised alarm over the law’s extraterritorial implications, which could affect non-EU developers whose models are deployed within the Union.

The EU is one of the first to implement an AI regulatory framework 

The Commission acknowledged the challenges raised by stakeholders and is pursuing a parallel effort to streamline broader digital regulations in the EU. According to Regnier, a proposal to simplify and reduce administrative reporting obligations is expected by the end of 2025.

However, this initiative is separate from the AI Act and is not intended to delay or weaken its core provisions.

“We understand that small companies have different capacities, and we want to ensure rules are proportionate,” Regnier said. “But this does not mean pausing the AI Act or rewriting the legal timelines already in place.”

The bloc sees its legal frameworks as a template that could influence global standards, much as its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has done in the privacy and data protection industry.

The AI Act also introduces fines reaching up to €35M or 7% of global turnover, depending on the severity of non-compliance or violation.

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