European Artificial Intelligence Act comes into force Today, the European Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), the world's first comprehensive regulation on artificial intelligence, enters into force. The AI Act is designed to ensure that AI developed and used in the EU is trustworthy, with safeguards to protect people's fundamental rights. The regulation aims to establish a harmonised internal market for AI in the EU, encouraging the uptake of this technology and creating a supportive environment for innovation and investment. The AI Act introduces a forward-looking definition of AI, based on a product safety and risk-based approach in the EU: Minimal risk: Most AI systems, such as AI-enabled recommender systems and spam filters, fall into this category. These systems face no obligations under the AI Act due to their minimal risk to citizens' rights and safety. Companies can voluntarily adopt additional codes of conduct. Specific transparency risk: AI systems like chatbots must clearly disclose to users that they are interacting with a machine. Certain AI-generated content, including deep fakes, must be labelled as such, and users need to be informed when biometric categorisation or emotion recognition systems are being used. In addition, providers will have to design systems in a way that synthetic audio, video, text and images content is marked in a machine-readable format, and detectable as artificially generated or manipulated. High risk: AI systems identified as high-risk will be required to comply with strict requirements, including risk-mitigation systems, high quality of data sets, logging of activity, detailed documentation, clear user information, human oversight, and a high level of robustness, accuracy, and cybersecurity. Regulatory sandboxes will facilitate responsible innovation and the development of compliant AI systems. Such high-risk AI systems include for example AI systems used for recruitment, or to assess whether somebody is entitled to get a loan, or to run autonomous robots. Unaccep table risk: AI systems considered a clear threat to the fundamental rights of people will be banned. This includes AI systems or applications that manipulate human behaviour to circumvent users' free will, such as toys using voice assistance encouraging dangerous behaviour of minors, systems that allow 'social scoring' by governments or companies, and certain applications of predictive policing. In addition, some uses of biometric systems will be prohibited, for example emotion recognition systems used at the workplace and some systems for categorising people or real time remote biometric identification for law enforcement purposes in publicly accessible spaces (with narrow exceptions). To complement this system, the AI Act also introduces rules for so-called general-purpose AI models, which are highly capable AI models that are designed to perform a wide variety of tasks like generating human-like text. General-purpose AI models are increasingly used as components of AI applications. The AI Act will ensure transparency along the value chain and addresses possible systemic risks of the most capable models. Application and enforcement of the AI rules Member States have until 2 August 2025 to designate national competent authorities, who will oversee the application of the rules for AI systems and carry out market surveillance activities. The Commission's AI Office will be the key implementation body for the AI Act at EU-level, as well as the enforcer for the rules for general-purpose AI models. Three advisory bodies will support the implementation of the rules. The European Artificial Intelligence Board will ensure a uniform application of the AI Act across EU Member States and will act as the main body for cooperation between the Commission and the Member States. A scientific panel of independent experts will offer technical advice and input on enforcement. In particular, this panel can issue alerts to the AI Office about risks associated to general-purpose AI models. The AI Office can also receive guidance f rom an advisory forum, composed of a diverse set of stakeholders. Companies not complying with the rules will be fined. Fines could go up to 7% of the global annual turnover for violations of banned AI applications, up to 3% for violations of other obligations and up to 1.5% for supplying incorrect information. Next Steps The majority of rules of the AI Act will start applying on 2 August 2026. However, prohibitions of AI systems deemed to present an unacceptable risk will already apply after six months, while the rules for so-called General-Purpose AI models will apply after 12 months. To bridge the transitional period before full implementation, the Commission has launched the AI Pact. This initiative invites AI developers to voluntarily adopt key obligations of the AI Act ahead of the legal deadlines. The Commission is also developing guidelines to define and detail how the AI Act should be implemented and facilitating co-regulatory instruments like standards and codes of practice. The Commission open ed a call for expression of interest to participate in drawing-up the first general-purpose AI Code of Practice, as well as a multi-stakeholder consultation giving the opportunity to all stakeholders to have their say on the first Code of Practice under the AI Act. Background On 9 December 2023, the Commission welcomed the political agreement on the AI Act. On 24 January 2024 the Commission has launched a package of measures to support European startups and SMEs in the development of trustworthy AI. On 29 May 2024 the Commission unveiled the AI Office. On 9 July 2024 the amended EuroHPC JU Regulation entered into force, thus allowing the set-up of AI factories. This allows dedicated AI-supercomputers to be used for the training of General Purpose AI (GPAI) models. Continued independent, evidence-based research produced by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) has been fundamental in shaping the EU's AI policies and ensuring their effective implementation. For More Information European Artificial Intelligence A ct New rules for Artificial Intelligence - Questions and Answers European AI Office | Shaping Europe's digital future Quote(s) AI has the potential to change the way we work and live and promises enormous benefits for citizens, our society and the European economy. The European approach to technology puts people first and ensures that everyone's rights are preserved. With the AI Act, the EU has taken an important step to ensure that AI technology uptake respects EU rules in Europe. Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age Today marks a major milestone in Europe's leadership in trustworthy AI. With the entry into force of the AI Act, European democracy has delivered an effective, proportionate and world-first framework for AI, tackling risks and serving as a launchpad for European AI startups. Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market Statement by President von der Leyen, Vice-President Jourová and Commissioner Dalli on European Roma Holocaust Memorial Da y Ahead of the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day, on 2 August, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Vera Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency, and Helena Dalli, Commissioner for Equality, stated: 'Today, we mark the 80th anniversary of the tragic events that unfolded at Auschwitz-Birkenau on 2 August 1944. On that day, over 4,300 Sinti and Roma children, women, and men were taken from barracks under the cover of darkness and led to the gas chambers by SS guards. More than 500,000 Roma people were systematically murdered in camps, fields, and unmarked trenches during the Holocaust. Their lives were extinguished, their culture suppressed, and their stories silenced. It is our duty to make sure their story is not forgotten and to honour their legacy by fighting for justice and equality for all racialised minority groups. We remember and we recommit to a world where human dignity is upheld, where diversity is celebrated and where hatred has no place.' Background In 2015, the European Parliament declared 2 August as the annual 'European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day' to honour the 500,000 European Roma - representing at least a quarter of their total population at that time - murdered in Nazi-occupied Europe. The European Commission and EU Member States have committed to combat antigypsyism, the discrimination and prejudice against Romani people, that was also the root cause of the European Roma genocide. This is a core objective of the EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020-2030 in pursuing the realisation of Roma equality, inclusion and participation at both European and national level. The Commission remains steadfast in its commitment to combat hatred and fight against discrimination as reaffirmed in the Joint Communication on 'No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred' adopted in December 2023 by the European Commission and the High Representative. This aims to step up EU efforts to fight hatred in all its forms, including antigypsyism, through a whole-of-society approach an d by reinforcing action across a variety of policies. The Commission will continue to work closely with the Member States to monitor progress toward the EU headline targets set out in the EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020-2030. This fall, the Commission will publish a report on the implementation of national Roma strategic frameworks, based on input from Member States, National Roma Contact Points, surveys conducted by the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency, and insights from civil society. In 2024, as part of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, the European Commission will provide pound 14 million of EU funding to support projects on European Remembrance. A priority is dedicated to projects that aim to strengthen Holocaust remembrance, education and research or combat Holocaust denial and distortion. Additionally, the joint project of the European Commission and the Council of Europe RomaMemory aims to raise awareness about the systematic persecution of Roma and the genocide on Roma during the Holocaust. For More Information Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme Roma equality, inclusion and participation in the EU EU Roma Strategic Framework European Remembrance European Commission and Council of Europe joint project RomaMemory Council Recommendation on Roma Assessment report of the Member States' National Roma Strategic Frameworks Joint Communication on 'No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred'. Commission adopts financial package to support Lebanon's stability and economy Today, the European Commission adopted a pound 500 million financial support package for Lebanon. This is the first part of the overall pound 1 billion support announced by President von der Leyen during her visit to Beirut in May 2024. This financial package builds on the European Council Conclusions of 17-18 April, in which the European Union reaffirmed its strong support for Lebanon and acknowledged the difficult circumstances the country is experiencing domestically and as a result of regional tensions. In this context, the EU reiterates the urgent need for regional de-escalation and calls on all parties to commit to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 of 2006. The first part of the EU financial package has been adopted today and consists of pound 500 million to support Lebanon and its people in 2024 and 2025. This funding will support much-needed reforms, the security sector and border management, economic activity, and measures for the most vulnerable people in Lebanon. Since 2011, EU bilateral support to Lebanon amounts to over pound 3 billion. Today, the European Commission adds pound 500 million to this overall amount. You can find more information in the European Council Conclusions of 17-18 April 2024, in the press statement by President von der Leyen in Beirut on 2 May 2024, in the factsheet and on the website. (For more information: Peter Stano - Tel.: +32 2 295 45 53 ; Piotr Cichocki - Tel.: +32 2 295 84 45) Commission and Euro pean Bank for Reconstruction and Development launch joint facility mobilising up to pound 100 million for critical raw materials investments The EU and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed yesterday, under the InvestEU umbrella, an agreement on a new facility providing equity investments for the exploration and development of critical and strategic raw materials, aiming to mobilise around pound 100 million in investments. These raw materials are essential for the EU's digital and green transitions. The EU supports developing sustainable projects for critical raw materials (CRM) to reduce the risk of potential supply chain disruptions, ensuring that industrial sectors have the necessary resources while maintaining EU environmental and social standards. The new joint facility will support the objectives of the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act and the REPowerEU Plan. The EU contribution amounts to pound 25 million from the Horizon Europe Programme, matched by another pound 25 mill ion from the EBRD, with the joint facility aiming to leverage a further pound 50 million. The facility leverages the EBRD's extensive experience in financing mining projects, facilitating early-stage equity investments in operations within EU Member States and EBRD countries outside of the EU covered by the Horizon Europe programme. The facility will fund responsible exploration activities delivered under high climate, governance, environmental, and social standards, aligned with the EBRD's rigorous Paris Agreement and Environmental and Social Policy screening. More information is available in our press release. (For more information: Veerle Nuyts - Tel.: + 32 229-96302; Quentin Cortès - Tel.: +32 2 291 32 83) Nine Member States to receive technical support for the preparation of their National Implementation Plans for the Pact on Migration and Asylum Following the entry into force of the Pact on Migration and Asylum and the adoption of the Common Implementation Plan (CIP) on 12 June 2024, the Commissio n as of today will provide tailored support and expert advice to nine Member States through the Technical Support Instrument (TSI). This support will help these Member States to prepare their National Implementation Plans (NIPs), which are due by early December 2024. The Commission launched a dedicated TSI call in June 2024 to assist Member States with the preparation of their NIPs, notably by offering them targeted support to carry out situational analysis and to identify the necessary actions needed to implement the Pact, in line with the CIP. Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Romania submitted requests for support and will now receive targeted expert advice for four months, until the end of November 2024. Experts in national legal frameworks, as well as international experts with knowledge in relevant practices in other countries, will assist national authorities in these Member States to identify the areas where the national legislation needs to be updated, and th e administrative and judicial processes need to be revised. They will assist them in assessing their needs in terms of personnel (staffing and training), infrastructure, IT, as well as the cost this represents, and the procurement that needs to be launched so that Member States can prepare robust NIPs in a timely manner. The TSI is a demand-driven EU instrument that provides tailor-made expertise to Member States' authorities. Member States' authorities apply for support through annual calls and, sometimes, dedicated calls that respond to emerging needs. The Instrument provides access to high-quality, tailored expertise and knowledge, taking the form of strategic and technical advice, studies assessing reform needs, trainings, and in-country missions by experts. Visit the dedicated webpage for more information on specific support that the nine Member States will receive under the TSI. (For more information: Adalbert Jahnz - Tel.: +32 2 295 31 56; Anna Gray - Tel.: +32 2 298 08 73) A new Culture Moves Euro pe call opens to support mobility of artists Today, the Commission opens the third call for the individual mobility action of the Culture Moves Europe mobility scheme. This call provides mobility grants to artists and cultural professionals in various fields such as architecture, cultural heritage, design, fashion, literature, music, performing arts, and visual arts. Artists and cultural professionals living with disability are particularly encouraged to apply and will be eligible to receive disability support. The call will be open until 30 November 2024. Last week, the Commission published results of the previous call for the individual mobility action. More than 1,600 projects from 39 countries in Europe and beyond have been selected for financing with 2,870 mobility grants worth pound 5,199,280 in total. Projects will take place in all cultural and creative sectors, with an increased participation in architecture and literature compared with the first call. 40% of the successful grantees have been grant ed a green travel top-up for their mobility project. Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, said: 'Culture Moves Europe is becoming the reference for green and inclusive cultural mobility within the continent and beyond. I proudly note that artists and organisations from overseas countries and territories are increasingly participating in the scheme. I wholeheartedly congratulate all the grantee hosts and artists who contribute to the richness of our European cultures and make them thrive.' Furthermore, the results of the third call for the residency action of the Culture Moves Europe mobility scheme are available. With this third selection, 309 artists and cultural professionals will be supported, reaching the target of 1,000 artists supported through residency projects since the first call. 93 projects from 31 Creative Europe countries have been selected for a total estimated grant of pound 1,125,000. Source: Cyprus News Agency