The European Commission has been urged to work on new AI liability rules after it pulled out of an existing proposal, in a letter sent to the EU executive on Monday by civil society and consumer groups.
The signatories — which include consumer group BEUC, and privacy advocates Article 19 and Mozilla – said that the “EU needs rules to address the legal gaps left by the AILD withdrawal and ensure a fairer, simpler path to compensation for all people affected by AI systems, including consumers in the EU, in case of harm by an AI system.”
In the Commission’s 2025 work program, presented in February, the EU executive said it plans to scrap the AI Liability Directive because “no foreseeable agreement” is expected on the proposal.
The rules were intended to offer consumers a harmonised means of redress when they experience harm arising from AI products or services. They were proposed in 2022 but no significant progress has been made since.
The joint letter – addressed to EU Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen and Michael McGrath, the commissioner for consumer affairs – argues that new EU AI liability rules would prevent fragmentation across the Bloc and enhance trust in AI.
“Certain national regimes might adequately protect consumers and individuals affected by AI, but not all do. This leads to an unfair scenario where people harmed by an AI system in one member state would have better chances at being compensated than those located in a different member state,” the letter said.
Other rules, like the revised Product Liability Directive (PLD) also apply to AI systems, but the letter argues that legal gaps remain.
EU Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen has been invited to the Legal Affairs Committee on 9 April for a discussion on the topic.
The file has not yet been officially withdrawn, but the Commission will aim to do so by August, when it publishes a final work program.
Lawmakers are divided on the issue, and member states have not officially decided on their position.