On April 9, 2026, the European Commission took stock of one year of the AI Continent: 200 billion euros committed, 19 AI factories opened, and an official help desk for AI Act compliance. These measures aim to provide concrete support to companies.
In brief
- The AI Continent Action Plan mobilizes 200 billion euros to position Europe as an AI leader by investing in infrastructure, data, and skills.
- The European Commission has established an official Service Desk to support AI Act compliance, accessible to all companies.
- Regulatory sandboxes must be operational in each Member State by August 2026, offering a secure framework to test AI before commercialization.
- The simplification provided by the plan focuses on support and not on reducing the fundamental obligations of the AI Act regulation.
- Major guidelines (transparency, high risk, GDPR articulation) are expected in the second quarter of 2026 to clarify implementation.
- For companies, complying with the AI Act becomes a strategic asset to access public procurement and European funding.
On April 9, 2026, the European Commission presented the results of one year of its "**AI Continent Action Plan**," a strategic initiative aimed at positioning the European Union at the forefront of the global race for artificial intelligence. This plan, endowed with 200 billion euros, has already enabled the opening of 19 AI factories and the commissioning of an official tool to support AI Act compliance.
For companies committed to their compliance by August 2026, the AI Continent is not limited to an industrial ambition: it provides concrete measures that transform the regulatory environment and simplify certain procedures.
The five structural pillars of the plan and their impact on the AI Act
The AI Continent Action Plan is based on five essential pillars, each having direct or indirect repercussions on compliance with the AI Act regulation:
1. Large-scale deployment of AI infrastructure
Europe is investing in the creation of "AI Factories" and gigafactories, combining supercomputers, datasets, and expertise for training advanced models. As of April 9, 2026, 19 AI factories are active, including one in France (AI2F, supported by the Alice Recoque supercomputer).
**Link to the AI Act:** Providers developing their models on these infrastructures benefit from a harmonized European framework, which facilitates the documentation of training data required by Article 10 and the GPAI obligations provided for in Article 53.
2. Facilitated access to quality data
The Commission has launched the **Data Union Strategy** to standardize data access and create "Data Labs" connected to European sectoral data spaces. The goal: to offer AI developers reliable, documented, and interoperable datasets.
**Link to the AI Act:** Article 10 requires that training data for high-risk AI systems be relevant, representative, and free of bias. European Data Labs are designed to provide this type of compliant dataset, thereby reducing the documentation burden for providers.
3. Accelerating AI adoption in strategic sectors
The "**Apply AI**" strategy, launched in October 2025, aims to generalize the use of AI in industry, healthcare, education, and public services, with a particular focus on SMEs.
**Link to the AI Act:** The sectors targeted by Apply AI (healthcare, human resources, public services) are precisely those considered high-risk in Annex III. To access European funding and markets, AI Act compliance becomes a mandatory step.
4. Training and skills in artificial intelligence
Article 4 of the AI Act regulation imposes an AI literacy obligation for providers and deployers. The plan provides for the creation of an AI Skills Academy, training programs, and a one-stop shop for AI career paths in Europe, to support companies in the required upskilling.
5. Support for AI Act compliance
This pillar is the most directly operational for companies. To facilitate the implementation of the regulation, the Commission has set up an AI Act Service Desk: an online platform centralizing information and advice on the regulatory framework.
Focus on the AI Act Service Desk: the new official gateway
The Service Desk represents the most concrete support tool resulting from the plan. It serves as a single point of contact for all questions related to the AI Act, allowing companies to obtain personalized answers.
Accessible via **ai-act-service-desk.ec.europa.eu**, it offers in particular:
- Definitions of roles (provider, deployer, importer, distributor)
- A reminder of obligations according to the level of risk and sector of activity
- Articulation with other regulations (GDPR, DSA, sectoral rules)
- A FAQ on the most common practical situations
- Guidance on GPAI obligations for model providers
The creation of this Service Desk underscores that the Commission recognizes the complexity of the AI Act regulation and wishes to support companies. This is not a sign of weakness in the regulatory framework, but proof of institutional maturity.
> If the European Commission is setting up a dedicated support service for AI Act compliance, it is because the complexity is real. For companies, it is about relying on the right tools rather than venturing into regulation alone.
Regulatory sandboxes: innovating safely before market launch
Article 57 of the AI Act regulation provides that each Member State must establish **at least one national AI regulatory sandbox** by August 2, 2026. These sandboxes offer companies a controlled environment to develop, test, and validate innovative AI systems, under the supervision of authorities, before their commercialization.
These mechanisms are particularly relevant for:
- Startups and SMEs that design high-risk systems and wish to validate their compliance before investing in a full assessment
- Companies operating in sensitive sectors (healthcare, justice, critical infrastructure), where innovation and regulation intersect
- Generative AI model providers wishing to test their security measures in real-world conditions
In France, the DGCCRF is responsible for setting up the national sandbox, the exact form of which remains to be specified.
The limits of the plan: what does not change in the AI Act regulation
It is essential to remember that the AI Continent Action Plan **does not modify the fundamental content of the AI Act regulation**. Despite the sector's expectations, the proposed simplification remains moderate and does not structurally lighten the obligations. Hopes for a significant reduction in administrative burdens have not been realized.
The Commission has resisted pressure to lighten the text and maintains:
- The prohibitions of Article 5 (unacceptable practices), applicable from February 2025
- The GPAI obligations of Articles 51 to 56, effective from August 2025
- The requirements for high-risk systems in Annex III, scheduled for August 2026 (with the possibility of postponement via the Digital Omnibus)
- The transparency obligations of Article 50, also scheduled for August 2026
The simplification introduced by the plan focuses on support and tools, without modifying the regulatory framework itself. This is a crucial point for companies that were hoping for a reduction in their obligations.
Guidelines expected in the second quarter of 2026
The European Commission has announced several series of guidelines that will be published in the second quarter of 2026:
- **Guidelines on the transparency of AI systems**: clarifications on the scope, definitions, Article 50 obligations, exceptions, and cross-cutting issues
- **Code of Practice for marking AI-generated content**: currently under development, it will cover the machine-readable watermarking required by Article 50§2
- **AI Act / GDPR Clarification**: guidelines on areas of overlap and cross-obligations
- **FRIA Template**: official model for the Fundamental Rights Impact Assessment (Article 27)
These documents will have a direct influence on how to document compliance. Their publication must be monitored carefully.
Concrete impacts for companies' compliance process
The AI Continent Action Plan creates a more favorable context for AI Act compliance, without making it optional. Here are the actions to prioritize:
1. **Leverage the AI Act Service Desk**: before contacting a specialized firm for general questions, consult the official Service Desk FAQ. It is a free resource validated by the Commission.
2. **Stay attentive to the Q2 2026 guidelines**: the upcoming guidelines will clarify key points (transparency, FRIA, GDPR articulation). You may need to adjust your documents accordingly.
3. **Integrate Apply AI into your strategy**: to target public procurement or European strategic sectors (healthcare, education, industry), AI Act compliance becomes essential to access funding and calls for tenders related to the plan.
4. **Anticipate the launch of the national sandbox**: if you are developing a high-risk AI, monitor the announcement of the French sandbox. It is an opportunity to validate your compliance at a lower cost before commercial launch.
The free compaia diagnostic allows you to identify your obligations precisely according to your profile, while waiting for the publication of the official guidelines from the AI Office.