The European Commission has published the reference to the first harmonised standard supporting the AI Act in the Official Journal of the European Union. The standard, EN 18286:2026, was developed by CEN and CENELEC and gives providers of high-risk AI systems a legal pathway to meet Article 17 quality management system requirements. Its publication through Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2274 means providers implementing it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the Article 17 requirements covered. The Commission says further harmonised standards are expected to follow ahead of the application of requirements for high-risk AI systems.

• The Commission says EN 18286, developed by CEN and CENELEC, gives high-risk AI providers a legal pathway to meet Article 17 quality management system requirements.
• Providers implementing the standard benefit from a presumption of conformity with the Article 17 requirements it covers.
• The standard lets providers in regulated sectors integrate management systems instead of running separate ones.
• Organisations without ISO/IEC 42001 that plan to place high-risk AI systems on the EU market can use EN 18286 to expand or build a QMS.