European AI Office

The European AI Office supports the development and use of trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI), while providing protection against risks. It was established within the European Commission as the knowledge center for AI and forms the basis for a unified European governance system for AI.

The AI Office supports the European approach to AI and plays a crucial role in the implementation of the AI Act—particularly regarding general-purpose AI models.

In this way, it guarantees the health, safety, and fundamental rights of citizens and provides legal certainty to businesses. It enforces the rules for general AI models and supports the supervisory authorities in the member states in their tasks.

This is supported by the powers that the Commission has received through the AI regulation, including the right to conduct evaluations of AI models, request information and measures from providers, and impose sanctions.

Additionally, the office promotes an innovative ecosystem of trustworthy AI to reap its societal and economic benefits. It ensures a strategic, coherent, and effective European AI approach at the international level, making the EU a global reference point.

In November 2025, the Commission proposed targeted changes to the AI regulation as part of the Digital Simplification Package. This package aims to ensure that the rules remain clear, simple, and innovation-friendly. One of the proposed measures is to strengthen the powers of the AI agency and to centralize the oversight of AI systems based on general AI models.

The AI agency leads the implementation of: 

• AI Continent Action Plan: Launched in April 2025. This plan explains how the untapped potential of European researchers and industries can be harnessed by converting European assets – such as unprecedented talent and strong traditional sectors – into "AI accelerators". The goal is to shape the next phase of AI development, stimulate economic growth, and strengthen European competitiveness in sectors such as healthcare, the automotive industry, and science.

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• Apply AI Strategy: Launched in October 2025 as a complement to the action plan. This strategy aims to accelerate the adoption and innovation of AI across Europe, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is designed to improve the competitive position of strategic sectors and strengthen the technological sovereignty of the EU.

In January 2024, the Commission announced an AI innovation package to support start-ups and SMEs in developing reliable AI that complies with EU values and rules. 

Both the initiative "GenAI4EU" and the AI office were part of this package. Together, they contribute to the development of new applications in the 14 industrial ecosystems of Europe and in the public sector. Application areas include robotics, healthcare, biotech, manufacturing, mobility, climate, and virtual worlds.