# Recital (9)

Harmonised rules applicable to the placing on the market, the putting into service and the use of high-risk AI 
systems should be laid down consistently with Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council (7), Decision No 768/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (8) and Regulation (EU) 
2019/1020 of the European Parliament and of the Council (9) (New Legislative Framework). The harmonised rules 
laid down in this Regulation should apply across sectors and, in line with the New Legislative Framework, should be 
without prejudice to existing Union law, in particular on data protection, consumer protection, fundamental rights, 
employment, and protection of workers, and product safety, to which this Regulation is complementary. As 
a consequence, all rights and remedies provided for by such Union law to consumers, and other persons on whom 
AI systems may have a negative impact, including as regards the compensation of possible damages pursuant to 
Council Directive 85/374/EEC (10) remain unaffected and fully applicable. Furthermore, in the context of 
employment and protection of workers, this Regulation should therefore not affect Union law on social policy and 
national labour law, in compliance with Union law, concerning employment and working conditions, including 
health and safety at work and the relationship between employers and workers. This Regulation should also not 
affect the exercise of fundamental rights as recognised in the Member States and at Union level, including the right or 
freedom to strike or to take other action covered by the specific industrial relations systems in Member States as well 
as the right to negotiate, to conclude and enforce collective agreements or to take collective action in accordance 
with national law. This Regulation should not affect the provisions aiming to improve working conditions in 
platform work laid down in a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on improving working 
conditions in platform work. Moreover, this Regulation aims to strengthen the effectiveness of such existing rights 
and remedies by establishing specific requirements and obligations, including in respect of the transparency, 
technical documentation and record-keeping of AI systems. Furthermore, the obligations placed on various 
operators involved in the AI value chain under this Regulation should apply without prejudice to national law, in 
compliance with Union law, having the effect of limiting the use of certain AI systems where such law falls outside 
the scope of this Regulation or pursues legitimate public interest objectives other than those pursued by this 
Regulation. For example, national labour law and law on the protection of minors, namely persons below the age of 
18, taking into account the UNCRC General Comment No 25 (2021) on children’s rights in relation to the digital 
environment, insofar as they are not specific to AI systems and pursue other legitimate public interest objectives, 
should not be affected by this Regulation.

---
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/9