Codes of Practice Under the EU AI Act (Article 56): Definition
EU AI Act codes of practice (Article 56) are voluntary tools, facilitated by the AI Office, that help GPAI providers show compliance before standards.
A code of practice under the EU AI Act, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, is a voluntary instrument — facilitated by the AI Office under Article 56 — that helps providers of general-purpose AI models demonstrate compliance with their obligations before harmonised standards are in place. Adhering to an approved code is a recognised way to show you are meeting the Chapter V duties, without being the only way.
What they are for
The GPAI obligations in Articles 53 and 55 apply from 2 August 2025, but the detailed European standards that would spell out exactly how to comply take time to develop. Codes of practice fill that gap. Article 56 tasks the AI Office with facilitating their drawing-up, covering matters such as how to keep technical documentation, how to summarise training data, copyright-policy measures, and — for systemic-risk models — risk identification and mitigation.
A provider that adheres to an approved code can rely on it to demonstrate compliance; once harmonised standards exist, conformity with those standards plays a similar role.
Voluntary, but meaningful
Codes are not mandatory — a provider may demonstrate compliance by other adequate means. But they carry weight: they are developed with the AI Office and stakeholders, and adherence is the path of least resistance for showing good faith. A separate strand under Article 50(7) supports codes of practice to facilitate the transparency (AI-content marking) obligations.
Not the same as codes of conduct
Do not confuse codes of practice (Article 56, for GPAI providers) with codes of conduct (Article 95), which are voluntary commitments encouraging providers of non-high-risk systems to apply high-risk-style requirements or other good practices. Different article, different audience.
How Confir helps
Confir focuses on the system-provider and deployer obligations that fit its SMB users; GPAI-provider compliance, including codes of practice, is a specialist, partial area and stays on the roadmap rather than being marketed as complete. Where your systems build on GPAI models, Confir records which model sits underneath so you can track the provider's code adherence as part of your due diligence.
Frequently asked questions
What is a code of practice under the EU AI Act?
A voluntary instrument facilitated by the AI Office under Article 56 that helps general-purpose AI model providers demonstrate compliance with their Chapter V obligations before harmonised standards exist. Adhering to an approved code is a recognised way to show compliance.
Are codes of practice mandatory?
No. They are voluntary, and a provider may demonstrate compliance by other adequate means. But because they are developed with the AI Office and stakeholders, adherence is a practical, lower-friction way to show good-faith compliance.
Who do codes of practice apply to?
Primarily providers of general-purpose AI models, including systemic-risk models, under Articles 53 and 55. A related strand under Article 50(7) supports codes to help with the transparency and AI-content-marking obligations.
How are codes of practice different from codes of conduct?
Codes of practice (Article 56) help GPAI model providers show compliance. Codes of conduct (Article 95) encourage providers of non-high-risk systems to voluntarily apply high-risk-style requirements or other good practices. Different provisions and audiences.
Do codes of practice replace standards?
They bridge the gap until harmonised European standards are available. Once standards exist, conformity with them serves a similar role in demonstrating compliance.
Related guides
- GPAI model, defined
- GPAI obligations explained
- The AI Office, defined
- Open-source AI under the EU AI Act
- How AI risk classification works
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