EU AI Act Enforcement Starts August 2026; Greece Sets Up €35 Million Fines

From 2 August 2026 the European Commission will be able to enforce the AI Act directly. The new AI Office can audit general‑purpose AI models placed on the EU market, order corrective actions, restrict availability and levy fines of up to 3 % of a company’s global annual turnover or €15 million, whichever is higher. The enforcement regime, outlined in Chapter V of the AI Act, also allows complaints from any person or organisation and gives the Scientific Panel power to issue alerts on risky models.

In parallel, Greece’s draft AI‑related legislation, currently before parliament, proposes much higher penalties for breaches of the EU rules. Companies could face fines of up to €35 million or 7 % of worldwide turnover for the most serious violations, with lower caps for lesser offences. The Greek bill covers AI use in recruitment, employee assessment, credit scoring, insurance pricing, customer service and content generation, and sets out a supervisory framework that includes the Data Protection Authority and sector‑specific bodies.

Both measures signal a tightening regulatory environment for AI providers and users across the EU, with Greece preparing a national enforcement structure that mirrors the forthcoming EU mechanisms.