Two words are doing a lot of work right now in EU AI Act coverage: “preliminary” and “agreement.” They’re being used together as if they resolve something. They don’t. They mark the beginning of a final stretch, not the end of the road.
Here’s the situation as it reportedly stands. According to the IAPP, MEPs reached a preliminary political agreement on amendments to the EU AI Act, reportedly on March 11, 2026. The European Council had previously adopted its own position on the same deadline extensions. The proposed extensions would reportedly move the Annex III high-risk AI system deadline from August 2, 2026 to December 2, 2027, and push the Annex I deadline to August 2, 2028, according to reports, not confirmed from official EU Parliament documentation. A committee vote involving the LIBE and IMCO committees is reportedly scheduled for March 18, 2026.
None of that is law yet.