Specific Tasks of an Authorised Representative (AR) under the EU AI Act

An Authorised Representative (AR) is the official EU-based legal representative for non-EU providers of high-risk AI systems or general-purpose AI (GPAI) models. Their role is defined in Article 22 (high-risk AI systems) and Article 54 (GPAI models) of the EU AI Act.

The AR does not assume full liability for the AI system - that remains with the provider - but they are legally empowered (and in some cases obligated) to perform the following specific tasks:

1. Regulatory Liaison and Communication

Act as the primary point of contact for the European AI Office, national market surveillance authorities, and other competent EU authorities.
Receive and respond to official communications, requests for information, and investigations on behalf of the provider.
Facilitate cooperation between the non-EU provider and EU regulators.

2. Documentation Management and Availability

Keep a copy of the technical documentation, EU declaration of conformity, and other required records.
Ensure these documents are available to EU authorities upon request (must be retained for at least 10 years after the AI system or model is placed on the market).
Provide any additional information or documentation requested by authorities to demonstrate compliance.

3. Verification and Compliance Support

Verify that the provider has fulfilled its obligations under the AI Act (e.g., that technical documentation is complete and up to date).
Assist with conformity assessment procedures and support communication with notified bodies (where applicable).
Help ensure that the provider maintains ongoing compliance with risk management, data governance, and post-market monitoring requirements.

4. Incident Reporting and Risk Management Support

Support the provider in fulfilling serious incident reporting obligations (Article 73).
Cooperate with authorities on risk mitigation measures and corrective actions when issues arise.
Assist with post-market monitoring activities (Article 72).

5. Mandate Management and Termination Rights

Perform all tasks explicitly listed in the written mandate received from the provider.
Terminate the mandate if the provider fails to comply with the AI Act (and must inform the relevant authorities when doing so). This is both a right and, in some cases, an obligation of the AR.

Summary of Core Responsibilities

Task	High-Risk AI Systems (Art. 22)	GPAI Models (Art. 54)	Key Purpose
Regulatory contact point	Yes	Yes	Direct interface with EU authorities
Technical documentation storage	Yes (10 years)	Yes (10 years)	Ensure records are available in EU
Compliance verification	Yes	Yes	Confirm provider meets obligations
Incident reporting support	Yes	Yes	Assist with Article 73 obligations
Mandate termination right	Yes	Yes	Protect AR and enforce compliance
Cooperation on investigations	Yes	Yes	Support audits and enforcement

Important Notes

The exact scope of tasks is defined in the written mandate between the provider and the AR. The mandate must explicitly authorise the AR to perform the required duties and to be addressed directly by authorities.
The AR must be a natural or legal person established in the EU.
Only one Authorised Representative is permitted per provider.