{"id":2035,"date":"2022-12-16T16:09:59","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T16:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artificialintelligenceact.eu\/?page_id=2035"},"modified":"2025-06-05T14:02:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T14:02:04","slug":"context","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/artificialintelligenceact.eu\/context\/","title":{"rendered":"Institutional Context"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ disabled_on=”off|off|off” admin_label=”Header Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_stops=”rgba(20,61,88,0.65) 0%|#143d58 100%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(20,61,88,0.65)” background_color_gradient_end=”#143d58″ background_image=”https:\/\/artificialintelligenceact.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/car_repair_shop-21.jpg” custom_margin=”|||” bottom_divider_style=”mountains2″ bottom_divider_color=”rgba(5,41,66,0.3)” bottom_divider_height=”20vw” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”top” animation_intensity_slide=”3%” animation_starting_opacity=”100%” background_color_gradient_stops_tablet=”rgba(20,61,88,0.65) 0%|#143d58 100%” background_color_gradient_stops_phone=”rgba(20,61,88,0.65) 0%|#143d58 100%” global_module=”2336″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row disabled_on=”off|off|off” module_class=” et_pb_row_fullwidth” _builder_version=”4.16″ width=”89%” width_tablet=”80%” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|desktop” max_width=”89%” max_width_tablet=”80%” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”|||” make_fullwidth=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” text_color=”light” _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_align=”center” title_font_size=”64px” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” title_font_size_tablet=”” title_font_size_phone=”44px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _dynamic_attributes=”content” _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”28px” text_line_height=”1.4em” text_orientation=”center” background_layout=”dark” width=”60%” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9leGNlcnB0Iiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJ3b3JkcyI6IiIsInJlYWRfbW9yZV9sYWJlbCI6IiJ9fQ==@[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Service Details Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ max_width=”1200px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”|0px|80px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

It can be difficult to understand how policymaking in the European Union works. This page aims to improve public understanding of the EU AI Act\u2019s institutional context. This summary was put together by Hadrien Pouget<\/a>, an AI policy expert at the UK AI Security Institute. He hopes it will help others trying to navigate the AI Act, and is happy to respond to further questions at pougeth@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

1. Introduction<\/h2>\n

The EU AI Act (AIA) has received international attention, and many who have never before taken an interest in EU legislation are pouring over it to understand its implications. As unprecedented as the AIA is, it remains fundamentally a piece of EU legislation. Much of it is borrowed from common EU frameworks, to the extent that it cannot be properly understood without this broader context. Those unfamiliar with the EU may struggle to discern what is in fact new about the act and what is merely established EU practice, or miss important subtext.<\/p>\n

This guide aims to provide an overview of the legislative context of the AIA, from the legislative procedure which has driven the AIA, through to compliance and enforcement mechanisms, many of which draw from existing EU practices. In this spirit, it largely stays away from analysing the content of the AIA; many such analyses already exist.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/artificialintelligenceact.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Mind-Map-EU-Institutional-Context-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”Mind Map – EU Institutional Context” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Figure 1. A summary of the most important actors in the creation and enforcement of the AI Act, and their relationships.<\/em><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

2. Legislative Process<\/h2>\n

The AI Act was shaped by EU\u2019s ordinary legislative procedure<\/span><\/a>, the process by which most EU legislation is produced. The key actors and their interactions are outlined here.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/artificialintelligenceact.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Mind-Map-Ordinary-Legislative-Procedure-scaled.jpeg” title_text=”Mind Map – Ordinary Legislative Procedure” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Figure 2. A high-level view of the Ordinary Legislative Procedure by which the AI Act was formed.<\/em><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

<\/a>2.1. Key Actors<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. European Commission<\/strong> \u2013 Composed of 27 Commissioners, put forward by member states and approved by the European Parliament. The Commission acts as the executive branch of the EU.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. European Parliament<\/strong> \u2013\n
      \n
    1. Represents the people of the EU. Members of European Parliament (MEPs) are elected directly by European citizens. Each member state of the EU is allocated a number of seats depending largely on their population.<\/li>\n
    2. The parliament has several committees which are expected to take the lead on issues in their jurisdiction. In the AIA\u2019s case, these were the committees on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO).<\/li>\n
    3. For each piece of legislation, the committee has a \u201crapporteur,\u201d an MEP who leads the committee\u2019s work. In the case of the AIA, these were Drago\u015f Tudorache (LIBE) and Brando Benifei (IMCO), respectively. A selection of other committees were responsible for sections of the act especially relevant to their work.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
    4. The Council of the European Union (\u201cThe Council\u201d)<\/strong>[1]<\/sup><\/a> \u2013 For each issue, the Council convenes the relevant government ministers from each member state. The AIA was handled by telecommunications ministers under the \u201cWorking Party on Telecommunications and Information Society (WP TELECOM).\u201d The presidency of the Council rotates on a 6-month basis between member states. The presidency has some power to set the Council\u2019s focus and represents the Council when interacting with other EU institutions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      <\/a>2.2. The Ordinary Legislative Procedure<\/h3>\n

      In brief, the ordinary legislative procedure follows these steps:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. The Commission produces a first draft of a piece of legislation. It is the only organisation with the power to do so, called the \u201cright of initiative.\u201d<\/li>\n
      2. Parliament receives the first draft and passes it back and forth with the Council, adding amendments until they agree (the legislation is passed), or until it has gone back and forth three times without agreement (the process ends and no legislation is adopted). During this time, informal dialogues, called \u201ctrilogues,\u201d take place between the Council, Parliament, and the Commission. In practice, these are often pivotal: legislation is now usually agreed on the first pass[2]<\/sup><\/a>, as Parliament and the Council agree on a direction through informal meetings.<\/li>\n
      3. Once Parliament and the Council have officially approved the text, it is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). The legislation will generally specify how long after its publication it will come into force.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        <\/a>2.3. Keeping the Act Updated After Publication<\/h3>\n

        The EU has two notable tools for updating or supporting existing legislation without having to repeat the entire legislative process:\u00a0implementing acts and delegated acts<\/span><\/a>. Legislation must specify when these can be used, and for what purpose. The two mechanisms are similar, although implementing acts tend to focus on implementation of the act (such as by providing official guidance on compliance), while delegated acts are closer to legislative amendments, changing details written into the AI Act. Both are powers given to the Commission and include slightly different\u00a0oversight mechanisms<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

        The AIA makes use of both mechanisms, allowing the commission to update the act in response to technological developments. They also allow the act to leave out non-essential details to be filled at a later date.<\/p>\n

        To continue bringing expertise to the EU, an AI office will be established. It will advise on some implementing and delegated acts, as well as on many other areas where expertise might be needed during implementation and enforcement.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

        [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#e8f2f7″ custom_padding=”24px|24px|24px|24px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

        Timeline of key developments<\/h4>\n

        For a timeline of the most significant developements in the legislative process, see here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

        [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

        3. Legislative Context<\/h2>\n

        <\/a>3.1. Types of EU Legislation<\/h3>\n

        The EU can produce several kinds of legislation<\/span><\/a>. The AIA is the strongest form, a regulation.<\/p>\n