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EU: Majority for AI Act – and safeguards for Free Software

The European Parliament today voted in favour of the AI Act with 499 votes in favour, 28 against, and 93 abstentions. Free Software is given safeguards; these rules must now be defended in the trilogue and transferred to the Cyber Resilience Act and the Product Liability Directive.

With a large majority, the plenary of the EU Parliament today confirmed the compromises of the lead committees from May. The AI Act contains a far-reaching exemption from this regulation for non-profit organisations as well as small Free Software projects up to the size of micro-enterprises. The position of the EU Parliament must now be defended in the upcoming trilogue, in which the final text will be negotiated together with the Council and the Commission.

"With today's decision, the EU Parliament has demonstrated how Free Software can be regulated in a meaningful way. Developers must be protected, but at the same time those who significantly benefit on the market with the use of Free Software must also be responsible. This principle must now also be anchored in the Cyber Resilience Act and the Product Liability Directive", explains Alexander Sander, Senior Policy Consultant of the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE).

More information on the negotiations on the Cyber Resilience Act and the Product Liability Directive can be found here.