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AIGG Europe 2026 Highlights Practical AI Governance Challenges Ahead of EU AI Act Enforcement
Last week, Dublin hosted the IAPP AI Governance Global Europe 2026 conference, drawing more than 700 professionals eager to translate the European Union’s AI Act into everyday practice.
Organized by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the gathering turned policy discussions into concrete governance strategies. Keynote speakers included Irish MEP Michael McNamara, who warned that true AI sovereignty hinges on access to compute, capital, and energy, and Lucilla Sioli, Director of the EU AI Office, who called for a national investment in digital infrastructure.
McNamara argued that a rights‑based regulatory framework could give Europe a competitive edge while establishing a global benchmark for responsible AI.
Sioli and journalist Mark Little explored how Europe can harness its talent and knowledge base to craft AI systems that reflect European values. Filmmaker Agnieszka Piotrowska added that technology is not neutral and that users must be active participants in shaping AI.
The conference quickly shifted from theory to practice, tackling questions about AI audits, the integration of technical standards into legal compliance, and the growing phenomenon of “shadow AI” – tools deployed by employees outside formal governance.
A panel led by Martin Woodward of Randstad, Anne Kleppe of BCG, Melissa Longmore of Coinbase Ireland, and Vincent Rezzouk‑Hammachi of Bird & Bird examined the risks of distributed innovation. They warned that inconsistent standards, undocumented models and liability gaps threaten the safeguards required by the AI Act.
Kleppe, an engineer by training, championed a “shift‑left” approach that embeds guardrails during system design rather than after deployment. She argued that AI governance must be distributed across functions, not confined to a single compliance team.
The AI Act Omnibus, which extends the original Act to cover general‑purpose AI, has been amended to push back high‑risk system deadlines to 2 December 2027 and to clarify the role of the EU AI Office. The conference highlighted that the Act’s technical requirements will rely heavily on emerging standards.
An expert panel featuring Barry Scanell of William Fry and Anita Prinzie, an AI standards specialist, discussed the need for legal professionals to become comfortable with technical compliance. Scanell noted that harmonised standards will define what technical compliance looks like, and that lawyers and engineers must work together.
Prinzie presented a timeline for the development of relevant standards and stressed the need for more technical subject‑matter experts to accelerate the process. She encouraged participants to join standard‑development committees.
The event also addressed AI literacy, with speakers stressing that understanding how AI systems work is essential for all roles involved in deployment. The conference’s overarching message was that while the EU has established the legal framework, the real work lies in creating the infrastructure, standards and governance practices that will bring the Act into effect.
In summary, AIGG Europe 2026 highlighted that AI governance is becoming a critical infrastructure function. The conference underscored the urgency of distributed governance models, the importance of technical standards, and the need for AI literacy across organizations. With the EU AI Act’s enforcement dates approaching, participants left with a clearer view of the challenges ahead and the collaborative efforts required to meet them.
The conference’s recordings and session materials are available on the IAPP website for those who could not attend.
Organized by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the gathering turned policy discussions into concrete governance strategies. Keynote speakers included Irish MEP Michael McNamara, who warned that true AI sovereignty hinges on access to compute, capital, and energy, and Lucilla Sioli, Director of the EU AI Office, who called for a national investment in digital infrastructure.
McNamara argued that a rights‑based regulatory framework could give Europe a competitive edge while establishing a global benchmark for responsible AI.
Sioli and journalist Mark Little explored how Europe can harness its talent and knowledge base to craft AI systems that reflect European values. Filmmaker Agnieszka Piotrowska added that technology is not neutral and that users must be active participants in shaping AI.
The conference quickly shifted from theory to practice, tackling questions about AI audits, the integration of technical standards into legal compliance, and the growing phenomenon of “shadow AI” – tools deployed by employees outside formal governance.
A panel led by Martin Woodward of Randstad, Anne Kleppe of BCG, Melissa Longmore of Coinbase Ireland, and Vincent Rezzouk‑Hammachi of Bird & Bird examined the risks of distributed innovation. They warned that inconsistent standards, undocumented models and liability gaps threaten the safeguards required by the AI Act.
Kleppe, an engineer by training, championed a “shift‑left” approach that embeds guardrails during system design rather than after deployment. She argued that AI governance must be distributed across functions, not confined to a single compliance team.
The AI Act Omnibus, which extends the original Act to cover general‑purpose AI, has been amended to push back high‑risk system deadlines to 2 December 2027 and to clarify the role of the EU AI Office. The conference highlighted that the Act’s technical requirements will rely heavily on emerging standards.
An expert panel featuring Barry Scanell of William Fry and Anita Prinzie, an AI standards specialist, discussed the need for legal professionals to become comfortable with technical compliance. Scanell noted that harmonised standards will define what technical compliance looks like, and that lawyers and engineers must work together.
Prinzie presented a timeline for the development of relevant standards and stressed the need for more technical subject‑matter experts to accelerate the process. She encouraged participants to join standard‑development committees.
The event also addressed AI literacy, with speakers stressing that understanding how AI systems work is essential for all roles involved in deployment. The conference’s overarching message was that while the EU has established the legal framework, the real work lies in creating the infrastructure, standards and governance practices that will bring the Act into effect.
In summary, AIGG Europe 2026 highlighted that AI governance is becoming a critical infrastructure function. The conference underscored the urgency of distributed governance models, the importance of technical standards, and the need for AI literacy across organizations. With the EU AI Act’s enforcement dates approaching, participants left with a clearer view of the challenges ahead and the collaborative efforts required to meet them.
The conference’s recordings and session materials are available on the IAPP website for those who could not attend.
