Art.30

Article 30 — Notification Procedure

Governance SME Relevant ~2 min read · 464 words

Article 30 defines the formal procedure through which member states notify the European Commission of their designated notified bodies, and the rules governing when those notifications take effect. It is the procedural backbone of the notified body system — ensuring that designations are transparent, contestable, and tracked at EU level.

✓ Low compliance impact for SMEs

WHAT THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT

The formal process for activating a notified body designation

Article 30 establishes the notification procedure — the formal steps between a member state deciding to designate a conformity assessment body and that body becoming an officially active notified body under the EU AI Act. It sets waiting periods, creates opportunities for objection, and defines when a designation becomes legally effective.

WHAT IT SAYS

Two-week waiting period, objection rights, and NANDO publication

Member states must notify the Commission and other member states of each conformity assessment body they wish to designate, using the NANDO electronic tool
The notification must include full details of the conformity assessment activities covered, the assessment modules applicable, and the AI system types within scope
A two-week waiting period applies after notification — other member states or the Commission may raise objections during this window
Where accreditation is used as the basis for designation, the waiting period is reduced to two weeks and objections must be substantiated
Where accreditation is not used, the waiting period is four months and requires more extensive supporting evidence
If no objection is raised within the waiting period, the designation becomes effective and the notified body may begin issuing certificates
If an objection is raised, the designating member state and the objecting party must engage and attempt to reach agreement — unresolved disputes are escalated to the Commission

WHO IS AFFECTED

Member states, notifying authorities, and applicant assessment bodies

Member state notifying authorities managing the designation and notification process
Conformity assessment bodies awaiting activation of their notified body status
The European Commission monitoring notifications and handling escalated disputes
Other member states with the right to object to designations during the waiting period

WHAT IT MEANS FOR SMES

The waiting period affects your conformity assessment timeline

This article is primarily a governance procedure — SMEs are not directly involved in the notification process
However, the practical implication is timing: when a new notified body is designated, there is a mandatory waiting period before it can legally issue conformity certificates — if you are planning your conformity assessment timeline, factor in whether your chosen body is already active or recently designated
The NANDO register shows the effective date of each notified body’s designation — check this before engaging a body to ensure their designation covers the type of AI system you are having assessed
The objection mechanism provides quality assurance: a designated body that passes through this process without objection has been accepted as competent not just by its home member state but implicitly by the rest of the EU

Article 28 — Notifying authorities (the bodies that initiate the notification)
Article 29 — Application procedure (the step before notification)
Article 31 — Requirements for notified bodies (the standards underpinning the designation)
Article 35 — Identification numbers and lists (the public register where active designations appear)

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