Italy and Hungary have missed the EU AI Act's 2 November 2024 deadline to designate authorities responsible for ensuring fundamental rights compliance in AI tool deployment, according to data provided by the European Commission.
The number of appointed authorities varies across member states, reflecting national law implementation and watchdog mandates. Bulgaria has listed nine entries, including the national Ombudsman and Data Protection Authority, Portugal has cited 14 authorities, Slovakia only two, and Spain 22. A Commission spokesperson stated they are "working with member states to ensure a consistent understanding of which public authorities or bodies should be designated and effective cooperation between these and the future market surveillance authorities."
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, though the Commission has not yet indicated which countries have officially notified their watchdogs.
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Cynthia Kroet
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