AI Act Article 40: Obligations, Deadlines & Penalties

All obligations under Article 40

Obligation 1

The Commission shall issue standardisation requests covering all requirements set out in Section 2 of Chapter II and obligations in Chapter V, Sections 2 and 3, without undue delay. Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 40, Article 40

Obligated entity

Commission

Action required

issue

Deadline

without undue delay

Penalty

—

Obligation 2

The standardisation request shall ask for deliverables on reporting and documentation processes to improve AI systems’ resource performance, such as reducing energy consumption, and on energy-efficient development of general-purpose AI models. Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 40, Article 40

Obligated entity

Commission

Action required

request

Deadline

—

Penalty

—

Obligation 3

When preparing a standardisation request, the Commission shall consult the Board and relevant stakeholders, including the advisory forum. Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 40, Article 40

Obligated entity

Commission

Action required

consult

Deadline

—

Penalty

—

Obligation 4

When issuing a standardisation request to European standardisation organisations, the Commission shall specify that standards have to be clear, consistent, and aim to ensure high-risk AI systems or general-purpose AI models meet relevant requirements. Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 40, Article 40

Obligated entity

Commission

Action required

specify

Deadline

—

Penalty

—

Obligation 5

The Commission shall request European standardisation organisations to provide evidence of their best efforts to fulfil the objectives referred to in the standardisation request. Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 40, Article 40

Obligated entity

Commission

Action required

request

Deadline

—

Penalty

—

Obligation 6

Participants in the standardisation process shall seek to promote investment and innovation in AI, increase legal certainty, and enhance competitiveness and growth of the Union market. Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 40, Article 40

Obligated entity

participants in the standardisation process

Action required

promote

Deadline

—

Penalty

—

Obligation 7

Participants in the standardisation process shall contribute to strengthening global cooperation on standardisation and take into account existing international standards consistent with Union values. Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 40, Article 40

Obligated entity

participants in the standardisation process

Action required

contribute

Deadline

—

Penalty

—

Obligation 8

Participants in the standardisation process shall enhance multi-stakeholder governance ensuring a balanced representation of interests and effective participation of all relevant stakeholders. Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 40, Article 40

Obligated entity

participants in the standardisation process

Action required

enhance

Deadline

—

Penalty

—

EU AI Act compliance deadlines

• 2025-02-02 Article 4 AI literacy in_force
• 2025-02-02 Article 5 prohibitions (unacceptable risk) in_force
• 2025-08-02 GPAI model obligations (Articles 51 to 56) in_force
• 2026-08-02 Article 50(2) machine-readable marking (watermarking) of AI-generated content provisionally_amended
• 2026-08-02 Article 50 transparency obligations OTHER than the 50(2) marking grace (for example disclosure that a user is interacting with an AI system) scheduled
• 2026-08-02 Annex III stand-alone high-risk obligations provisionally_amended
• 2026-08-02 National AI regulatory sandboxes (establishment deadline) provisionally_amended
• 2026-12-02 NEW Article 5 prohibition: AI generation of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) and CSAM provisionally_amended
• 2027-08-02 Annex I embedded (regulated-product) high-risk obligations provisionally_amended

Questions about Article 40

Who must comply with Article 40 of the AI Act? +

Commission, participants in the standardisation process.

What does Article 40 of the AI Act require? +

issue request consult

What is the compliance deadline for AI Act Article 40? +

without undue delay