Public administrations across Europe are moving from exploring artificial intelligence to putting it into practice. The focus is shifting from strategy to delivery, from ambition to real services that improve how governments work and serve people.
On 9 April, the European Commission marked one year since the AI Continent Action Plan by publishing new reports developed under the Apply AI Strategy, which translates the plan’s objectives into concrete action. These include a report on advancing AI adoption in public administrations and a Science for Policy Brief on Europe’s approach to AI policymaking. Together, they show how the EU is building a trusted, practical path for AI in the public sector.
These reports build on the broader ambition of the AI Continent Action Plan, which positions Europe’s approach to artificial intelligence as a driver of innovation and competitiveness. Across key pillars such as infrastructure, data, skills, adoption and simplification, the EU is putting in place the conditions for AI to scale in a trusted and coordinated way.
This focus on adoption reflects a broader shift highlighted by Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, who emphasised that enabling organisations to integrate AI into their core processes is now a central priority. In her opinion-piece, she underlined that the Apply AI Strategy encourages an “AI-first” approach across sectors, positioning adoption alongside infrastructure as a key pillar of Europe’s ambition to become an AI continent.
The report on AI adoption in public administrations sets out how governments can move forward in practice. It identifies concrete opportunities, highlights common challenges and points to the need for coordinated action across Europe to scale AI solutions effectively.
The Science for Policy Brief on the European approach to artificial intelligence policymaking, published by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, takes a step back and looks at the bigger picture. It shows how scientific evidence and technical expertise have shaped the EU’s approach to AI over the past decade, supporting a model that combines innovation with trust.
At the centre of this effort sits the Apply AI Strategy. It turns political ambition into concrete tools that administrations can use. One of these is the upcoming AI toolbox for public administrations. It will offer a shared repository of open-source and reusable solutions, helping countries avoid duplication and build on each other’s work. The goal is simple: make AI systems more interoperable, scalable and easier to deploy across borders.
However, public administrations also need clear guidance on how to adopt AI in practice. This is where the Public Sector AI and Interoperability Readiness (PAIR) Pathway comes in. It breaks down complexity into actionable steps and supports administrations throughout their AI adoption journey, from readiness assessment to implementation and scaling.
On 19 March 2026, the Innovation Pathways Workshop marked an important step in shaping this work. Organised in collaboration with the Joint Research Centre, the workshop brought together representatives from 16 Member States to contribute directly to the development of the PAIR Pathway. Participants shared concrete experiences from their own AI journeys. They highlighted what works, what does not, and where support is most needed. A clear message emerged highlighting that public administrations want to move faster from strategy to implementation. To do so, they need practical guidance, stronger skills, and trusted frameworks that address governance, data protection and transparency from the start. They also called for stronger knowledge sharing across countries and more reusable European tools to overcome common barriers such as legacy systems and limited capacity.
The PAIR Pathway responds directly to these needs. It complements the AI toolbox by guiding administrations through the full adoption journey, while anchoring AI in European values and focusing efforts where it can deliver the most public value. Work on the pathway continues, with further engagement planned with Member States and regional and local authorities, including through cooperation with the Committee of the Regions.
By linking strategy, science and implementation, the European Commission is helping public administrations turn AI into something concrete and usable building on its work on artificial intelligence that began in 2018.
Read the full reports:
The European approach to artificial intelligence policymaking
Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen’s opinion piece:
Building Artificial Intelligence the European way
Have your say
How is your organisation putting AI into practice? Where do you see the biggest barriers or opportunities? Share your experience via the Interoperable Europe Portal and help build practical, reusable solutions that can scale across public administrations in Europe.