# Italy’s AI governance and training decree takes effect

> Decree No. 179/2026 sets national AI authority roles and rules for AI support and training across public administration and other sectors.

- Topic: Policy and regulation
- Subjects: Artificial intelligence, Digitalisation
- Event date: 2026-10-23
- First published on EPC Feed: 2026-10-25T01:45:37.511Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T01:45:37.511Z
- Countries: Italy
- Page: https://epcfeed.com/news/italy-ai-governance-decree-179-takes-effect


## Key facts

- Effective date: 23 October 2026
- Published: Official Gazette, 8 October 2026
- National notification authority: Agency for Digital Italy (AgID)
- Market surveillance authority: National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN)

Italy’s Legislative Decree No. 179 of 7 October 2026 entered into force on 23 October, completing a further part of the country’s domestic implementation of the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act. The decree was published in the Official Gazette on 8 October. Its subject is the powers of national AI authorities and the use of AI in education and training; it also addresses AI in professional activity, work, health and public administration. The start date is therefore the event reported here, while adoption and publication occurred earlier.

The decree assigns national implementation roles within the framework established by Italy’s Law No. 132/2025. The official text names the Agency for Digital Italy (AgID) as the notification authority and the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) as the market surveillance authority and single contact point for EU institutions. It also provides for coordination between these agencies and other public bodies. The official government explainer adds that the Bank of Italy, CONSOB and IVASS supervise high-risk AI systems linked to financial services, while the data protection authority retains competencies in specified areas. The decree preserves those authorities’ existing functions; its provisions do not make one agency the sole regulator of every AI use.

For public administration, the decree’s training provisions address the capability needed to use AI as support while keeping decisions attributable to people. The government explainer describes basic AI literacy for public employees, specialist upskilling for staff in administrative procedures, public services, document management, recruitment and data analysis, and advanced training for managers and officials responsible for digital transition and organizational change. Training should help staff understand system operation, interpret outputs, identify limitations and errors, protect data and security, and maintain effective human oversight.

The decree also sets out an administrative-use framework: public bodies may use AI to support recruitment, training and organizational innovation, with aims that include streamlining administration and speeding procedures. The government’s account states that AI remains an aid to administrative action and that decision responsibility remains with the human official. This builds on Law No. 132/2025, which already established the principle that public administration uses AI in a supporting role while preserving the autonomy and decision-making authority of the person responsible for the proceeding.

The scope is broader than public administration. The decree includes provisions concerning professional and workplace use, health, and company information and technical-industrial experience involving data, algorithms and mathematical methods. Its structure also includes national authority powers, notification, market surveillance, sanctions and regulatory experimentation spaces. Those headings describe the legal framework’s coverage; they do not establish that every listed topic creates an immediately operative new duty for every organization. Specific responsibilities depend on the relevant provisions and the EU AI Act framework.

This is an implementation milestone, not the introduction of Italy’s first AI law: Law No. 132/2025 was already in force from October 2025, and Decree No. 179/2026 implements parts of its delegation to align national rules with Regulation (EU) 2024/1689. No project award, technology procurement or new computing facility is part of this measure. Its practical relevance for government digital systems and suppliers lies in the allocation of oversight responsibilities, public-sector training and the rules for AI use in administrative processes.

## Sources

1. [Decreto legislativo 7 ottobre 2026, n. 179](https://www.normattiva.it/atto/caricaDettaglioAtto?atto.codiceRedazionale=26G00200&atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=2026-10-08&tipoDettaglio=originario). Government source, Normattiva, Published 2026-10-08, Read 2026-10-25.
2. [Decreto legislativo 7 ottobre 2026, n. 179](https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/atto/vediMenuHTML?atto.codiceRedazionale=26G00200&atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=2026-10-08&tipoSerie=serie_generale&tipoVigenza=originario). Government source, Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana, Published 2026-10-08, Read 2026-10-25.
3. [L’attuazione della legge 132/2025: governance e formazione nella pubblica amministrazione](https://www.conferenzastatocitta.gov.it/home/approfondimenti/tematiche-di-interesse/l-intelligenza-artificiale-ia-nella-pa/l-attuazione-della-legge-1322025-governance-e-formazione-nella-pubblica-amministrazione/). Government source, Conferenza Stato-città ed autonomie locali, Presidenza del Consiglio dei ministri, Published 2026-10-15, Read 2026-10-25.
4. [La normativa italiana: la legge 132/2025](https://www.conferenzastatocitta.gov.it/home/approfondimenti/tematiche-di-interesse/l-intelligenza-artificiale-ia-nella-pa/la-normativa-italiana-la-legge-1322025/). Government source, Conferenza Stato-città ed autonomie locali, Presidenza del Consiglio dei ministri, Published 2026-10-15, Read 2026-10-25.