# Recital (117)

The codes of practice should represent a central tool for the proper compliance with the obligations provided for 
under this Regulation for providers of general-purpose AI models. Providers should be able to rely on codes of 
practice to demonstrate compliance with the obligations. By means of implementing acts, the Commission may 
decide to approve a code of practice and give it a general validity within the Union, or, alternatively, to provide 
common rules for the implementation of the relevant obligations, if, by the time this Regulation becomes applicable, 
a code of practice cannot be finalised or is not deemed adequate by the AI Office. Once a harmonised standard is 

published and assessed as suitable to cover the relevant obligations by the AI Office, compliance with a European 
harmonised standard should grant providers the presumption of conformity. Providers of general-purpose AI 
models should furthermore be able to demonstrate compliance using alternative adequate means, if codes of practice 
or harmonised standards are not available, or they choose not to rely on those.

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Source: Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (Artificial Intelligence Act) as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, consolidated text of 27 July 2026 (Official Journal of the EU). This page is AI-generated legal information, not legal advice. Verify against the Official Journal.
Canonical: https://euaiactlaw.com/recital/117