New EU AI Act Deadline Announced: 27 July Cut-Off for Initial Code of Practice Signatories

The European Commission has announced a new administrative deadline ahead of the EU AI Act's transparency obligations taking effect on 2 August 2026.

Organisations wishing to appear on the Commission's initial public list of signatories to the Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-generated Content must submit their signed participation form by 27 July 2026 at 18:00 CEST.

While organisations can still sign the Code after this date, they will simply join later and will not appear in the Commission's first published cohort of signatories.

The Commission has published a dedicated FAQ confirming the process for becoming a signatory to the Code of Practice.

To be included in the initial published list, organisations must submit their signed form by:

📅 27 July 2026 – 18:00 CEST

This deadline applies to organisations that wish to publicly demonstrate their commitment to following the Commission-recognised Code before the Article 50 transparency obligations begin on 2 August 2026.

Can organisations still sign after 27 July?

Yes.

Missing the deadline does not prevent an organisation from becoming a signatory.

The Commission has confirmed that organisations may join the Code at any time. However, only those submitting their signed form before the deadline will appear in the initial published list.

On its own, this is a relatively small administrative announcement.

What makes it significant is what it tells us about the wider implementation of the EU AI Act.

Over recent weeks, the European Commission has steadily moved from consultation into implementation by:

Publishing the final Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-generated Content. Launching the formal signatory process. Setting a deadline for organisations wishing to join the initial cohort. Preparing to publish the final Article 50 implementation guidelines before the transparency obligations begin on 2 August 2026.

Taken together, these developments indicate that the implementation timetable is continuing as planned.

From 2 August 2026, Article 50 of the EU AI Act introduces transparency obligations for certain AI-generated and AI-manipulated content.

Depending on how AI is being used, organisations may need to ensure that users are informed when they are interacting with, viewing or consuming certain AI-generated content.

For many businesses, this means reviewing websites, marketing assets, customer communications and digital content to determine where transparency measures may be required.

The Commission describes the Code of Practice as a recognised framework that organisations may use to help demonstrate compliance with the transparency obligations.

Signing the Code is voluntary, and organisations that choose not to sign must still comply with Article 50 through other appropriate means.

Whether becoming a signatory is appropriate will depend on your organisation's AI use cases, governance approach and legal advice.

What businesses should do now

With the implementation date approaching rapidly, organisations should be:

Understanding whether Article 50 applies to their use of AI. Identifying AI-generated and AI-modified content across their websites and digital assets. Deciding how they will implement transparency measures. Reviewing whether becoming a signatory to the Code of Practice aligns with their compliance strategy.

The period between now and 2 August is likely to see further guidance from the Commission, making this an important time for organisations using AI in customer-facing content.

TickAI helps organisations prepare for Article 50 by scanning websites to identify AI-generated and AI-modified content that may require disclosure.

Instead of manually editing images or changing website code, TickAI overlays compliant disclosure badges on qualifying assets and can even show disclosures only to visitors in the EU where appropriate.

As the EU AI Act enters its implementation phase, having visibility of where AI content exists across your digital estate is becoming an increasingly important part of demonstrating transparency and compliance.

Run a free website scan with TickAI to identify AI-generated content that may require disclosure before the EU AI Act transparency obligations begin on 2 August 2026.

This article is general information, not legal advice.