European Union ratifies Council of Europe AI convention
The European Union has formally ratified the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, strengthening the treaty’s institutional backing within Europe.
The European Union has ratified the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law during the 135th Session of the Committee of Ministers held in Chișinău, Moldova.
The convention, developed under the Council of Europe, is the first legally binding international treaty focused specifically on AI governance and its relationship to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
The ratification gives additional political and legal weight to the convention because the EU itself, alongside individual member states, is now formally party to the framework.
The treaty establishes principles related to transparency, accountability, oversight, non-discrimination, and safeguards against harmful uses of AI systems. It is intended to apply across the lifecycle of AI development and deployment.
The move also strengthens links between the convention and the EU’s own AI regulatory framework, particularly the Artificial Intelligence Act, which entered into force earlier as the bloc’s primary legislative framework for AI systems.
