Harmonised standard
Under European Union law, a standard developed by a European standardization organization (CEN, CENELEC, or ETSI) at the Commission's request and published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Conforming to a harmonised standard triggers a presumption of conformity with the corresponding legal requirement (EU AI Act, Article 40). As of 2026 the first AI Act harmonised standards were still being finalized.
Defined in 2 GAGE programs, which carry 7 distinct definitions of it. The wording above is taught in AI Governance: Applied Mastery.
How each discipline defines it
The same term does different work depending on who is using it. These are the definitions as each program teaches them, unedited.
Under European Union law, a standard developed by a European standardization organization (CEN, CENELEC, or ETSI) at the Commission's request and published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Conforming to a harmonised standard triggers a presumption of conformity with the corresponding legal requirement (EU AI Act, Article 40). As of 2026 the first AI Act harmonised standards were still being finalized.
A European Standard (EN) produced by a recognized European standardisation organisation (CEN, CENELEC, or ETSI) in response to a Commission standardisation request, whose reference has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union under Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. Compliance with a harmonised standard grants a presumption of conformity with the legal requirements it covers.
A European standard adopted on the basis of a standardisation request from the European Commission and listed in the Official Journal. Compliance with a harmonised standard creates a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the relevant EU legislation covered by that standard. Article 40 of the AI Act governs the presumption of conformity for harmonised standards.
A standard adopted by a European standardisation organisation (CEN, CENELEC, or ETSI) under a Commission standardisation request, the reference of which is published in the Official Journal of the EU. Providers who conform to a harmonised standard earn the Article 40 presumption of conformity.
A European standard adopted by a European standardisation organisation (CEN, CENELEC, or ETSI) pursuant to a Commission standardisation request under Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012, whose reference is published in the Official Journal; conformity with a harmonised standard grants the Article 40(1) presumption of conformity to the extent the standard covers the relevant requirements.
Where it is taught
The exact lessons this term appears in. The first 7 topics of every program are free with a free account.
- Standards versus law: what certification buys you and what it never will · The World's Rulebooks, AI Governance: Applied Mastery
- Quality Management System (Article 17) · High-Risk AI Requirements: The Technical File, EU AI Act Implementation Expert
- Harmonized Standards and Presumption of Conformity · Standards and Conformity Assessment, EU AI Act Implementation Expert
- Common Specifications When Standards Lag · Standards and Conformity Assessment, EU AI Act Implementation Expert
- Claiming Conformity: What You Can and Cannot Assert · Standards and Conformity Assessment, EU AI Act Implementation Expert
- Conformity Assessment Routes (Articles 43 to 47) · Standards and Conformity Assessment, EU AI Act Implementation Expert
- Assembling the Complete Compliance Dossier · Capstone: The Compliance Portfolio, EU AI Act Implementation Expert
Terms it appears with
Not an alphabetical neighbourhood: these are the terms taught in the same lessons, ranked by how often they appear together.