The ETUC participated in the 15th CEN-CENELEC JTC 21 Artificial Intelligence Plenary and Working Group meetings, held from 6 to 9 October in Winterthur, Switzerland.
Following amendments adopted under the Digital Omnibus on AI in June 2026, the entry into force of obligations for high-risk AI systems was postponed due essentially to the unavailability of the harmonized standards necessary for their implementation. Consequently, the European Commission’s standardization request has been revised to align with the new timelines, setting the deadline for supporting harmonized standards for February 2027.
The plenary and subsequent Working Group sessions provided members and experts with an overview of the current state of play across all drafting teams. While significant progress has been made over the past year – with several standards on track for completion by the deadline –, the European Commission reiterated the critical need for high-quality standards to ensure the trustworthiness of AI systems entering the European market.
In its statement during the closing plenary, the ETUC stressed the necessity of establishing a robust and ambitious benchmark for European standards. Technical specifications must fully reflect the fundamental ambition of the AI Act: fostering innovation and competitiveness while safeguarding fundamental rights, including workers’ rights. To achieve this, the ETUC strongly advocates for preserving the high-quality consensus drafts developed over recent years, ensuring that essential safeguards are not compromised in the rush to meet accelerated timelines.
