Art.66

Article 66 – Tasks of the Board

Governance SME Relevant ~2 min read · 429 words

Article 66 defines what the European Artificial Intelligence Board actually does — its mandate, powers and specific tasks. From advising on guidelines to requesting information from the AI Office, coordinating national enforcement and issuing opinions, Article 66 is where the Board’s institutional role becomes concrete.

✓ Low compliance impact for SMEs

WHAT THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT

The specific mandate and powers of the AI Board

Article 66 sets out the tasks that the European Artificial Intelligence Board must perform. Where Article 65 established the Board’s structure, Article 66 defines its purpose — covering advisory functions, coordination tasks, information requests and the production of opinions and recommendations that shape how the Act is applied across the EU.

WHAT IT SAYS

Advisory, coordination, and opinion-issuing functions

The Board must collect and share expertise and best practices between member states on AI Act implementation
It must contribute to uniform application of the Act — issuing opinions, recommendations and written contributions to the Commission and national competent authorities
It must advise and assist the Commission on the development of guidelines, delegated acts and implementing acts
It must facilitate cooperation and information exchange between national competent authorities, including on cross-border AI systems and incidents
It must issue opinions on GPAI models where the AI Office has concerns — particularly on systemic risk classification
It must collect and analyse national reports on enforcement activities and compile EU-wide enforcement data
It can request that the AI Office conduct evaluations of GPAI models with systemic risk
It must contribute to standardisation activities and to the development of codes of practice

WHO IS AFFECTED

National authorities, the Commission and AI Office primarily

National competent authorities — they share information with and receive guidance from the Board
The Commission — the Board advises it on delegated acts, guidelines and interpretive questions
The AI Office — the Board may request evaluations and the Office supports the Board’s work
Providers of GPAI models — Board opinions on systemic risk classification affect them directly

WHAT IT MEANS FOR SMES

Board opinions shape how rules are interpreted across the EU

The Board’s opinions and recommendations, while not legally binding regulations, are the most authoritative interpretive guidance available and will shape how national authorities apply the Act — monitor them
The Board’s coordination of enforcement data means patterns of enforcement activity across the EU become visible — this intelligence is valuable for understanding regulatory risk
Board opinions on GPAI classification affect which models are subject to the heaviest obligations — with downstream effects on the models SMEs build on
The Board’s contribution to standardisation means it influences the harmonised standards that SMEs will eventually use as their primary compliance pathway

Article 65 — AI Board structure (establishes the Board whose tasks are defined here)
Article 64 — AI Office (the body that supports the Board and implements its requests)
Article 51 — GPAI systemic risk classification (an area where the Board issues opinions)
Article 40 — Harmonised standards (the Board contributes to standardisation processes)

← Back to the Guide