Op-Ed: “Fundamental Rights Authorities and the AI Act: Neglected Priorities?”

On the eve of the full entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (hereafter, ‘AI Act’), several deadlines have already been marked off the calendar. One which was less commented upon expired on 2 November 2024: Article 77(2) AI Act required each Member State to identify the public authorities or bodies ‘which supervise or enforce the respect of obligations under Union law protecting fundamental rights.’ It also required that Member States make the list publicly available and that they notify it to the Commission and to the other Member States. Many Member States met the deadline, or at least disclosed part of their lists. However, Italy did not. And even though on 17 September 2025, the Senate approved the so-called Italian AI Law, n