The EU AI Act is entering into force in stages. While most of its provisions will not apply until August 2026, key requirements for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models took effect much earlier, starting on August 2, 2025.

In anticipation of this earlier milestone, the Code of Practice for General-Purpose AI Models was published on the EU commission’s website on July 10, 2025. It is a voluntary tool, prepared by independent experts in a multi-stakeholder process involving nearly 1000 participants, (general-purpose AI model providers, downstream providers, industry organizations, civil society, rightsholders and other entities, as well as academia and independent experts). The Code represents an initial effort to translate the AI Act’s GPAI-specific obligations into practical measures.

It focuses on three central areas (Transparency, Copyright, and Safety and Security) and offers a framework that developers of GPAI models may rely on to demonstrate responsible practices in line with the EU’s evolving regulatory approach.