EU AI Act Harmonised Standards Mapping

Harmonised standards are technical specifications developed by European Standardisation Organisations (CEN-CENELEC in this case) that provide a presumption of conformity with EU legislation. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the EU (OJEU), following it creates a rebuttable presumption that you comply with the corresponding legal requirements. For the AI Act, this means demonstrating compliance becomes significantly more straightforward.

Standards development follows a structured process with defined stages:

• Stage 10 (Red): Project approved and initial drafting underway
• Stage 20 (Yellow): Working Draft or Committee Draft being developed
• Stage 40 (Purple): Enquiry/DIS Draft - circulated to national bodies for comment
• Stage 50 (Teal): Approval stage - formal voting by national bodies
• Stage 60 (Blue): Publication stage - standard is published

Only standards that reach Stage 60 and are then cited in the OJEU provide presumption of conformity. Learn more about the process here.

This site provides an interactive mapping of the intended coverage of harmonised standards being developed for the EU AI Act by CEN and CENELEC. It summarises which standardisation projects relate to different parts of the AI Act and how far along they are in the development process

The interactive mapping was created by Adam Leon Smith, based on information from draft standards such as prEN 18286 and project scopes published by CEN‑CENELEC. It is an independent resource and is not an official publication of the European institutions or the European standardisation organisations

The changelog on the site records updates to the mapping, including newly added projects and stage progressions such as the launch of working draft consultations. Users should always check the date of the latest update and consult official sources for the most current status of each standardisation project.

Some standards in this area are expected to include normative references to other standards, but those are incorporated into the mapping only once the referenced standards reach a sufficiently advanced stage, such as the enquiry stage. As a result, the mapping may not yet show every dependency or cross‑reference that will exist in the final harmonised standards set.

Not yet for presumption of conformity. Standards only provide presumption of conformity once they're published (Stage 60+) and cited in the OJEU. However, draft standards at Enquiry stage (Stage 40+) can provide valuable guidance on emerging best practices and indicate the direction of regulatory expectations. Always consult the official AI Act text and wait for OJEU citations for formal compliance.

This mapping shows the intended coverage of standards being developed by CEN-CENELEC JTC 21. The standards are designed to address specific articles of the AI Act, particularly Chapter III Section 2 requirements for high-risk AI systems (Articles 9-15) plus the quality management system (Article 17) and post-market monitoring (Article 72). Each standard's scope has been carefully designed to align with these legal requirements.

Yes. ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 develops international AI standards that may become harmonised standards through adoption by CEN-CENELEC. Additionally, sector-specific standards and cybersecurity standards (like those from ETSI) may be relevant. However, only standards cited in the OJEU provide presumption of conformity with the AI Act.

Standard development typically takes 2-4 years from project start to publication. Current estimates suggest the first CEN-CENELEC AI Act standards may reach publication in 2026. However, citation in the OJEU is a separate process that occurs after publication and is at the discretion of the European Commission.

Standards development occurs through National Standards Bodies (NSBs). In the UK, this is BSI; in Germany, DIN; in France, AFNOR, etc. Organizations and experts can participate by joining relevant technical committees through their NSB. CEN-CENELEC JTC 21 develops AI standards with input from national mirror committees.