Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, in a written answer on 1 July 2026, outlined a multi-pronged approach to tackle fraud in the cultural and creative sectors linked to misuse of artificial intelligence, including new transparency obligations, a dedicated AI strategy, and potential competition law interventions. The answer, responding to a question from ECR MEP Lara Magoni, signals the Commission's intention to protect legitimate creators and consumer trust amid growing concerns over AI-generated content flooding digital markets.
The answer details several concrete measures. The AI Office published the final version of a Code of Practice on AI-generated content transparency on 10 June 2026, and plans to issue guidelines on transparency obligations by August 2026. Providers of general-purpose AI models must comply with EU copyright law and disclose training data summaries, with templates and a separate Code of Practice already developed. The Commission is also facilitating technical solutions for machine-readable rights reservations. Under the Apply AI Strategy, a study on legal challenges and technological safeguards against copyright-infringing AI outputs will be launched. Additionally, the Commission recently published a study on discoverability of diverse European content online and will present a dedicated AI strategy for the cultural and creative sectors.
Virkkunen's answer largely reiterates existing commitments and ongoing processes, such as the AI Act's transparency obligations and the Code of Practice, without announcing new numerical targets or binding deadlines beyond the August 2026 guidelines. The policy orientation is towards strengthening enforcement and support for creators through voluntary codes, guidelines, and studies, rather than immediate legislative action. The Commission will monitor market developments and may use competition law powers if necessary. Institutional follow-up is expected with the AI strategy for the cultural and creative sectors, though no specific timeline is given.
Legitimate creators and rightsholders stand to benefit from improved transparency and potential enforcement against fraudulent AI-generated content, which could restore revenue and visibility. AI model providers face new compliance costs from transparency and copyright obligations, though the codes of practice offer some flexibility. Consumers may gain trust in digital content authenticity. National authorities will need to enforce the AI Act uniformly, which may require additional resources and coordination.