Brussels Eases AI Rules for Mechanical Engineering: Extended Deadlines and Exemptions

“FRANKFURT. Representatives of the European Parliament and EU member states have agreed—following months of negotiations—to soften a legislative package regulating artificial intelligence (AI).

 

Under the agreement, machinery largely falls outside the scope of the rules because existing regulations, such as the Machinery Products Regulation, already cover many applications.

 

Germany, in particular, had pushed for this exemption.

 

The agreement also provides for the extension of key deadlines: requirements for high-risk AI systems are now set to apply starting in December 2027, rather than August 2026 as originally planned. These systems include, for example, biometric facial recognition, AI used in critical infrastructure, and AI systems for creditworthiness assessment. If AI systems are integrated into other products rather than marketed independently, the new deadline is August 2028. Providers of such systems will then be required to, among other things, establish a risk management system, provide technical documentation and error-free training datasets, and register the system with the EU. The amendments to the AI ​​Act still require formal approval by the European Parliament and EU member states.

 

With the AI ​​Act, the EU aims to ensure the safe and ethically sound use of the technology. Representatives of European companies criticize the AI ​​Act for imposing excessive bureaucracy and placing them at a significant disadvantage in competition with American firms.

 

Two weeks ago, at the industrial trade fair in Hanover, Siemens CEO Roland Busch stated that unless Brussels met companies halfway and relaxed regulations regarding data and AI, development activities would be shifted to America and Asia. Such a move would mean Europe turning its back on a modern industrial sector.

 

In the mechanical engineering sector, many AI applications had previously been classified as high-risk systems, particularly when they perform safety functions for machinery or are closely linked to product safety are interconnected. Examples include AI-powered robots, autonomous quality control, and predictive maintenance. In these scenarios, for instance, the AI ​​predicts safety-critical failures and automatically shuts down specific processes.

 

German mechanical engineering companies are welcoming this as a long-awaited positive signal for industrial AI. "For mechanical engineering firms in particular, it is crucial that the interface between the AI ​​Act and machinery safety regulations is clearly defined and does not result in overlapping regulations," said Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Executive Director of the mechanical engineering association VDMA. He remained skeptical regarding Brussels' approach. "A final assessment requires careful review to ensure the compromise contains no new pitfalls," Rauen noted. MEP Svenja Hahn (FDP), who had called for greater simplification across all sectors, described it as a "mini-compromise with maxi-bureaucracy."

 

"The outcome of the trilogue negotiations on the AI ​​'omnibus' represents an important first step toward making AI regulation better suited to industrial needs and avoiding overlapping regulations," explained Sarah Bäumchen, Managing Director of the German Electrical and Digital Industry Association (ZVEI). She emphasized that this is urgently needed to unlock the growth potential of industrial AI in Europe.

 

Brussels has recognized that not all AI is the same; a system used in an industrial setting cannot be compared to one used by private consumers. Excluding the Machinery Regulation from the existing European AI framework and establishing a realistic definition of what constitutes high-risk industrial AI are important steps toward making AI regulation practical. "However, it is concerning that the trilogue failed to extend these adjustments to the medical device sector," Bäumchen said. Consequently, the revision process for the Medical Devices Regulation must be pursued as a top priority to eliminate overlapping regulations in that area as well. fib./maxs.” [1]

 

1. Brüssel lockert die KI-Regeln für den Maschinenbau: Längere Fristen und Ausnahmen. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung; Frankfurt. 08 May 2026: 18.