Technical Standards: Opportunities for Equality Bodies and Civil Society Organisations

This explainer demystifies the role of technical standards in AI regulation, with a focus on the EU AI Act and its reliance on harmonised standards. It explains how these standards create legal presumptions of compliance—and why Equality Bodies and civil society must engage in their development to ensure fundamental rights are upheld. 

Key Features: 

• What technical and harmonised standards are and how they work 

• Their role in EU law, especially in the conformity assessment of AI systems 

• How Equality Bodies and CSOs can get involved in standard-setting processes 

This publication is an essential guide to understanding and influencing the evolving AI regulatory ecosystem. 

Discover the other resources of the series “Encoding Equality in AI: Design, Deliberation, and Oversight” here: 

• Understanding Artificial Intelligence: Concepts, Limitations, and Risks     

• Explaining ‘By-Design’ Approaches: Principles and Implementation   

• A Guide for Access to Justice for Equality Bodies and CSOs   

Download the ACCESSIBLE version of Explainer 4: Technical Standards: Opportunities for Equality Bodies and Civil Society Organisations here.