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Eight bodies named to enforce EU’s AI Act

The Government has approved what it describes as a roadmap for implementing the EU’s AI Act – including naming eight bodies to enforce the legislation within their areas.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said that a future Government decision would designate a lead regulator to co-ordinate enforcement of the act and provide some centralised functions.

The act requires member states to designate at least one authority to supervise and enforce its provisions before 2 August 2025.

The authorities designated this week are:

• Central Bank of Ireland,
• Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg),
• Commission for Railway Regulation,
• Competition and Consumer Protection Commission,
• Data Protection Commission,
• Health and Safety Authority,
• Health Products Regulatory Authority, and
• Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport.

The Government had already named nine bodies that will be responsible for protecting fundamental rights specified under the act.

Compliance ‘easier for businesses’

Peter Burke (Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment) described the EU legislation “a strategically important regulation for Ireland”.

Niamh Smyth (Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation) said the Government’s decision to use the existing national framework of sectoral authorities for enforcement would make compliance with the act easier for businesses.

The legislation, which came into force last year, harmonises the rules on the technology, following a risk-based approach, meaning that there will be stricter rules for AI technology seen as posing a higher risk of causing harm to society.

From February this year, several AI practices seen as posing “a clear threat to the fundamental rights of people” were banned under the act.