EU AI Act Art.54: Authorised representatives of providers of general-purpose AI models
Article 54 of the EU AI Act binds the authorised representative. It requires A provider of a general-purpose AI model established in a third country must, before placing the model on the Union. This page states what it requires, who it binds and the evidence to keep. Browsing is free; the conformance kit is USD 499.
Specifics
| Instrument | Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (the EU AI Act), as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 |
|---|---|
| Article | Art.54 |
| Binds | Authorised representative |
| Group | General-Purpose AI Models |
| Evidence items | 5 |
| Linked NIST AI RMF controls | 0 |
| Linked ISO/IEC 42001 controls | 0 |
| Last updated |
Who does Art.54 bind?
The article binds the authorised representative. The Act places each duty on a named party in the value chain, so a system can carry a provider duty and a deployer duty at once. Confirm your own position against the text; this page names the party, it does not rule on your facts.
The general-purpose AI model duties apply from 2 August 2025. See the full timeline.
What does Art.54 require?
A provider of a general-purpose AI model established in a third country must, before placing the model on the Union market, appoint by written mandate an authorised representative established in the Union, and must enable it to perform the mandated tasks. The mandate must empower the representative to verify that the Annex XI technical documentation has been drawn up and that the Art.53 and, where applicable, Art.55 obligations have been fulfilled; to keep a copy of that documentation and the provider's contact details at the disposal of the AI Office and the national competent authorities for ten years after the model was placed on the market; to provide information and documentation on reasoned request; and to cooperate with the AI Office and competent authorities on any action they take in relation to the model, including where it is integrated into AI systems placed on the Union market. The representative must terminate the mandate and immediately inform the AI Office if it considers the provider is acting contrary to its obligations. The duty does not apply to models released under a free and open source licence meeting the stated conditions unless they present systemic risk.
This is our plain-language statement of the article, not the text of the regulation. Read the article: Art.54 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 on EUR-Lex).
What evidence should we keep for Art.54?
| Category | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|
| GPAI | The written mandate, showing it confers each of the Art.54(3) tasks |
| GPAI | Evidence the appointment predates the model being placed on the Union market |
| GPAI | The Annex XI documentation copy and the provider contact details held by the representative, with the ten year retention set |
| GPAI | Evidence the provider enables the representative, for example by giving it the access it needs to verify the documentation |
| GPAI | Where the open source exemption is claimed, the assessment showing the model does not present systemic risk |
What does a linked control mean here?
A linked control is a NIST AI RMF or ISO/IEC 42001 control that the held rule set records as a topical match, with a confidence and a one-line reason. It does not establish that meeting one requirement satisfies the other, it is not legal advice, and it is not certification. Where no control is recorded, the page says so and does not guess. Sources: the NIST AI RMF and ISO/IEC 42001.
Which NIST AI RMF controls line up with Art.54?
No NIST AI RMF control is recorded as a match for this obligation in the held rule set. It is left unlinked and marked, never guessed.
Which ISO/IEC 42001 controls line up with Art.54?
No ISO/IEC 42001 control is recorded as a match for this obligation in the held rule set. It is left unlinked and marked, never guessed.
What does the conformance kit add for Art.54?
The kit renders this obligation into your own role checklist with the evidence register, the linked controls and a CSV export, for USD 499 one off. See what is in the kit or open it.