Skip to main content
European Commission logo
AI Act Service Desk

AI Act Explorer

Recitals
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180
Chapter I: General Provisions
Chapter II: Prohibited AI Practices
Chapter III: High-Risk AI Systems

Section 1: Classification of AI Systems as High-Risk

Section 2: Requirements for High-Risk AI Systems

Section 3: Obligations of Providers and Deployers of High-Risk AI Systems and Other Parties

Section 4: Notifying Authorities and Notified Bodies

Section 5: Standards, Conformity Assessment, Certificates, Registration

Chapter IV: Transparency Obligations for Providers and Deployers of Certain AI Systems
Chapter V: General-Purpose AI Models

Section 1: Classification Rules

Section 2: Obligations for Providers of General-Purpose AI Models

Section 3: Obligations of Providers of General-Purpose AI Models with Systemic Risk

Section 4: Codes of Practice

Chapter VI: Measures in Support of Innovation
Chapter VII: Governance

Section 1: Governance at Union Level

Section 2: National competent authorities

Chapter VIII: EU Database for High-Risk AI Systems
Chapter IX: Post-Market Monitoring, Information Sharing and Market Surveillance

Section 1: Post-Market Monitoring

Section 2: Sharing of Information on Serious Incidents

Section 3: Enforcement

Section 4: Remedies

Section 5: Supervision, Investigation, Enforcement and Monitoring in Respect of Providers of General-Purpose AI Models

Chapter X: Codes of Conduct and Guidelines
Chapter XI: Delegation of Power and Committee Procedure
Chapter XII: Penalties
Chapter XIII: Final Provisions
Annexes
Annex I
Annex II
Annex III
Annex IV
Annex V
Annex VI
Annex VII
Annex VIII
Annex IX
Annex X
Annex XI
Annex XII
Annex XIII
  • Chapter III: High-Risk AI Systems
  • Section 5: Standards, Conformity Assessment, Certificates, Registration

Article 41: Common specifications

Summary

The Commission can adopt implementing acts to establish common specifications for high-risk AI systems or general-purpose AI models if harmonised standards are not available, not delivered on time, insufficiently address fundamental rights concerns, or do not comply with the request. These specifications will be developed in consultation with the advisory forum and adopted through an examination procedure set out in Article 98 (2). AI systems conforming to these specifications will be presumed compliant with Section 2 of Chapter 3 (Requirements for high-risk AI systems) or, where applicable, certain obligations of Chapter 5. If harmonised standards are later adopted, the Commission will repeal the relevant implementing acts. Providers not complying with the common specifications must justify their alternative technical solutions. 

The summaries are meant to provide helpful explanation but are not legal binding.

1.   The Commission may adopt, implementing acts establishing common specifications for the requirements set out in Section 2 of this Chapter or, as applicable, for the obligations set out in Sections 2 and 3 of Chapter V where the following conditions have been fulfilled:

(a)the Commission has requested, pursuant to Article 10(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, one or more European standardisation organisations to draft a harmonised standard for the requirements set out in Section 2 of this Chapter, or, as applicable, for the obligations set out in Sections 2 and 3 of Chapter V, and:
(i)the request has not been accepted by any of the European standardisation organisations; or
(ii)the harmonised standards addressing that request are not delivered within the deadline set in accordance with Article 10(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012; or
(iii)the relevant harmonised standards insufficiently address fundamental rights concerns; or
(iv)the harmonised standards do not comply with the request; and
(b)no reference to harmonised standards covering the requirements referred to in Section 2 of this Chapter or, as applicable, the obligations referred to in Sections 2 and 3 of Chapter V has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, and no such reference is expected to be published within a reasonable period.

When drafting the common specifications, the Commission shall consult the advisory forum referred to in Article 67.

The implementing acts referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 98(2).

2.   Before preparing a draft implementing act, the Commission shall inform the committee referred to in Article 22 of Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 that it considers the conditions laid down in paragraph 1 of this Article to be fulfilled.

3.   High-risk AI systems or general-purpose AI models which are in conformity with the common specifications referred to in paragraph 1, or parts of those specifications, shall be presumed to be in conformity with the requirements set out in Section 2 of this Chapter or, as applicable, to comply with the obligations referred to in Sections 2 and 3 of Chapter V, to the extent those common specifications cover those requirements or those obligations.

4.   Where a harmonised standard is adopted by a European standardisation organisation and proposed to the Commission for the publication of its reference in the Official Journal of the European Union, the Commission shall assess the harmonised standard in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. When reference to a harmonised standard is published in the Official Journal of the European Union, the Commission shall repeal the implementing acts referred to in paragraph 1, or parts thereof which cover the same requirements set out in Section 2 of this Chapter or, as applicable, the same obligations set out in Sections 2 and 3 of Chapter V.

5.   Where providers of high-risk AI systems or general-purpose AI models do not comply with the common specifications referred to in paragraph 1, they shall duly justify that they have adopted technical solutions that meet the requirements referred to in Section 2 of this Chapter or, as applicable, comply with the obligations set out in Sections 2 and 3 of Chapter V to a level at least equivalent thereto.

6.   Where a Member State considers that a common specification does not entirely meet the requirements set out in Section 2 or, as applicable, comply with obligations set out in Sections 2 and 3 of Chapter V, it shall inform the Commission thereof with a detailed explanation. The Commission shall assess that information and, if appropriate, amend the implementing act establishing the common specification concerned.

Relevant recitals