EU AI Act Omnibus Talks Collapse After 12 Hours—Sectoral Exemptions at Impasse

Twelve Hours, No Deal

EU Council and European Parliament negotiators announced on April 29, 2026, that after 12 hours of talks they failed to reach agreement on the AI Act Omnibus, a package of amendments to the EU's landmark AI Act. A Cypriot official stated it was not possible to reach an agreement with the European Parliament. Negotiations are set to resume in May.

What the Omnibus Was Trying to Do

The AI Omnibus primarily aims to extend AI Act compliance deadlines: from August 2026 to December 2027 for standalone high-risk AI systems, and to August 2028 for high-risk AI embedded in already-regulated products such as medical devices, toys, connected vehicles, and machinery. The sides reached consensus on a ban for non-consensual AI-generated intimate images, but the sectoral exemption question remained unresolved.

The Core Dispute

The impasse was whether high-risk AI systems already governed by existing sectoral regulations should be exempt from additional AI Act requirements. Industry and Parliament backed broad exemptions; the Council opposed them. Despite 12 hours of talks, this question proved intractable.

Business Implications

Without a deal, the August 2, 2026 compliance deadline looks more likely to hold. Companies operating in Europe need to reassess their EU compliance timelines. No new negotiation date has been confirmed. Source: The Next Web