Story
The European Commission published a draft implementing regulation on March 12, 2026 (Reference: Ares(2026)2709234) that, for the first time, details how Brussels will investigate and penalize General-Purpose AI (GPAI) model providers under the EU AI Act. The regulation covers three central areas: technical evaluations granting the Commission direct access to model source code, weights, hosting infrastructure, and the ability to require providers to disable their own monitoring during audits; strict independence rules for external experts including a 12-month lookback on prior relationships; and interim measures allowing the suspension of models from the market even before formal proceedings are concluded. Key deadlines: GPAI obligations took effect August 2, 2025; the implementing regulation is formally adopted in Q2 2026; full enforcement powers for new models activate August 2, 2026; and full enforcement for pre-August 2025 models activates August 2, 2027. Fines reach up to EUR 35 million or 7% of global annual turnover. Companies using GPAI-integrated tools are warned that the regulation applies to downstream users, not just model providers. ADVISORI reported the core details. European Commission Digital Strategy noted additional context. Adeptiv added corroborating details.