Finland becomes first EU member state with operational AI Act enforcement

Finland became the first EU member state with fully operational AI Act enforcement powers on January 1 2026. The Finnish model designates 10 existing market surveillance authorities in a decentralised structure, with Traficom serving as the single point of contact and a new Sanctions Board empowered to impose fines. This provides the first working template for other member states and demonstrates that enforcement can be built on existing regulatory infrastructure rather than requiring a new standalone agency.