From the AI Act to a European AI Agency: Completing the Union's Regulatory Architecture

TL;DR

This paper discusses the EU's AI Act and argues for establishing a dedicated European AI Agency to improve regulation, oversight, and international cooperation, thereby enhancing the EU's technological sovereignty.

Contribution

It analyzes the potential role of a European AI Agency in strengthening AI governance and complements the existing legal framework established by the EU AI Act.

Findings

A European AI Agency could improve policy coherence and risk assessment.

A dedicated agency would foster international cooperation on AI regulation.

Strengthening the EU's AI oversight aligns with strategic sovereignty goals.

Abstract

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies continue to advance, effective risk assessment, regulation, and oversight are necessary to ensure that AI development and deployment align with ethical principles while preserving innovation and economic competitiveness. The adoption of the EU AI Act marks an important step in this direction, establishing a harmonised legal framework that includes detailed provisions on AI governance, as well as the creation of the European AI Office. This paper revisits the question of whether a more robust supranational agency dedicated to AI is still warranted and explores how such a body could enhance policy coherence, improve risk assessment capacities, and foster international cooperation. It also argues that a strengthened EU-level agency would also serve the Union's strategic aim of securing digital and technological sovereignty.