The Commission has proposed a new Standardisation Regulation: standards are to be developed a third faster, partly because of AI

The Commission has put forward a proposal for a regulation on European standardisation, which is to replace Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. The average time needed to develop a standard is to be cut from six years to four.

The proposal also strengthens the representation of small and medium-sized enterprises, civil society and academia, and establishes an Expert Centre on European Standardisation.

The reform matters for the AI Act. The presumption of conformity under Article 40 arises only once the reference to a harmonised standard is published in the Official Journal, and no such standard has yet been published for the AI Act. The Commission itself notes that the EU is increasingly unable to rely on standards providing a presumption of conformity in new strategic technologies such as AI. Where standards are lacking, the Commission may adopt common specifications under Article 41.

The proposal will now be examined by the European Parliament and the Council.