CEN-CENELEC JTC 21 — Artificial Intelligence
- Type
- Standards body
- Place
- European Union — European Union / EEA
- Last checked
- 2026-09-22
- Next check due
- 2027-03-21
Ways to reach them
- Join via your National Standardization Body / National Committee — primary route
This route is retained as reference only. Its verification is missing, more than 180 days old, or the contact window is not currently open; do not rely on it until it is re-checked.
- CEN-CENELEC Project Manager Yannis Chourmouziadis — for European/international organisations seeking to join directly
- ETUC AI standardisation inclusiveness mailing list
- European Standards & AI LinkedIn group (informal tracking)
This route is retained as reference only. Its verification is missing, more than 180 days old, or the contact window is not currently open; do not rely on it until it is re-checked.
- Homepage
What it does
Established 1 June 2021; 300+ experts from 20+ countries across five working groups. Develops the harmonised European standards that give presumption of conformity with the EU AI Act once cited in the Official Journal — e.g. AI trustworthiness framework, AI risk management, AI quality management system (prEN 18286), conformity assessment, datasets and bias, cybersecurity, robustness, logging. CEN/CENELEC decided in late 2025 to accelerate the work programme after delays.
Honest assessment
The most consequential standards body for anyone in Europe right now, and the most criticised for weak civil-society representation relative to industry. The Annex III organisations are chronically under-resourced and actively want outside expertise — approaching ANEC, ECOS or ETUC is a far more tractable route than approaching CEN-CENELEC directly.
Concerns it covers
EU AI Act risk categories: health, safety and fundamental rights of persons affected by high-risk systems, plus GPAI systemic risk. Compliance-engineering framing.
Government channel
Direct legal effect — these standards operationalise the EU AI Act.