45 top European CEOs call for delay on EU AI regulations

The European Union’s new Code of Conduct for AI use has faced widespread criticism from industry leaders, NGOs, and trade associations just two weeks before its enforcement deadline of August 2, 2025. The guidelines, designed to supplement the EU AI Act with practical compliance frameworks for general-purpose AI models, have been condemned as overly complex, bureaucratic, and potentially harmful to European competitiveness in the global AI race.

What you should know: The General Purpose AI Code of Practice covers three key areas that AI providers must address to comply with EU regulations.

• The Transparency chapter provides templates for documenting AI model information required under Article 53 of the AI Act.
• The Copyright section offers practical solutions for developing strategies to comply with EU copyright law.
• The Safety and Security section outlines practices for addressing systemic risks from advanced AI models, applying specifically to general-purpose AI models with systemic risk.

Industry pushback: More than 45 top European executives signed an open letter calling for a two-year delay in implementing the AI Act, warning that current regulations risk Europe’s competitive position.

• Signatories include leaders from Mercedes-Benz, Lufthansa, Philips, Celonis, Airbus, AXA, and BNP Paribas.
• The letter was initiated by the EU AI Champions Initiative, representing around 110 EU companies.
• Executives argue the regulations are unclear in some areas and contradictory in others.

What they’re saying: Bitkom, a German digital association, offered measured criticism while acknowledging some improvements in the guidelines.

• “The Code of Practice must not become a brake on Europe’s AI position,” warned Susanne Dehmel, member of Bitkom’s management board.
• Bitkom criticized “very comprehensive but vaguely worded audit requirements” and called for reducing bureaucratic burden.
• The association specifically opposed tightened requirements for open risk identification for very powerful AI models.

Going further: Siemens CEO Roland Busch and SAP CEO Christian Klein called for fundamental revision of the entire EU AI Act framework.

• Busch described the AI Act in its current form as “toxic to the development of digital business models.”
• Both CEOs advocate for a new framework that promotes innovation rather than hindering it.
• Their criticism goes beyond the open letter, seeking more comprehensive changes to EU AI regulation.

NGO concerns: The Future Society, an NGO representing civil society, raised alarm about US tech companies’ influence in weakening the guidelines during closed sessions.

• Executive director Nick Moës said the “weakened code puts European citizens and businesses at a disadvantage.”
• The NGO argues the influence of US Big Tech “undermines all other stakeholders whose commitment and efforts for the common good have remained overshadowed.”

Four key criticisms: The Future Society identified specific flaws in the implementation approach that could compromise safety and accountability.

• AI providers only share model reports with risk assessments after deployment, following a “publish first, then question” approach that allows potentially dangerous models to reach users unchecked.
• No effective whistleblower protection standards equivalent to those required by the EU Whistleblower Directive.
• No mandatory emergency response plans, despite AI damage potentially spreading “extremely quickly” in general-purpose AI systems.
• Providers retain extensive decision-making power in risk management, allowing them to identify risks themselves, define thresholds, and conduct continuous evaluation.

The timeline: The guidelines will enter force on August 2, 2025, with practical implementation beginning in 2026, giving companies limited time to prepare for compliance amid ongoing regulatory uncertainty.