Italy and Hungary have failed to meet a legal deadline under the EU’s AI Act to appoint bodies required to ensure that EU fundamental rights are respected in the deployment of AI tools, according to data provided by the European Commission.
A spokesperson for the Commission told Euronews that the EU executive is “in contact with both member states and supporting them as they are preparing to meet this obligation.”
Each of the 27 EU member states had until 2 November last year to identify authorities and make the list publicly available.
The number of authorities appointed by the member states varies; it depends on the implementation of national laws and the mandate those give to watchdogs.
For example, Bulgaria listed nine entries, including the national Ombudsman and the Data Protection Authority. By contrast, Portugal cited 14 authorities, Slovakia only two and Spain 22.
“We are working with member states to ensure a consistent understanding of which public authorities or bodies should be designated and effective cooperation between these public authorities and bodies and the future market surveillance authorities,” the spokesperson said.
The AI Act entered into force in August 2024 and has been gradually implemented since then.
By August this year, member states must also appoint a market surveillance authority to enforce the legislation. The Commission has not yet indicated which countries have officially notified their watchdogs.
