As the EU AI Act moves from enactment to enforcement, organisations are looking for practical ways to assess their readiness, strengthen governance and demonstrate responsible use of artificial intelligence.
One recent development is AIA Cert, a certification scheme developed by the ECCP (European Centre for Certification and Privacy). The scheme is designed to help organisations assess their AI governance against the EU AI Act and other international AI principles. Building on the expertise and ecosystem developed around Europrivacy, it provides a structured approach to identifying gaps, organising evidence and improving areas such as risk management, documentation and human oversight.
AI governance cannot be considered separately from data protection. Many AI systems are trained, tested or operated using personal data. This means that organisations may need to comply simultaneously with the AI Act and the GDPR.
This is where Europrivacy can add particular value.
Europrivacy
Europrivacy is an EDPB-approved European Data Protection Seal under Article 42 GDPR. It enables an organisation to certify the GDPR compliance of a clearly defined personal-data processing activity, including processing that forms part of an AI product or service.
For companies developing or deploying AI, Europrivacy can therefore provide an independent and recognised way to demonstrate that personal data are being handled responsibly. It can support trust with customers, partners, investors and regulators, while also helping the organisation identify weaknesses in its privacy governance.
The ECCP explains that AIA Cert and Europrivacy can be used together. This offers a useful approach for organisations seeking a more complete view of their AI compliance:
- AIA Cert can support the assessment of wider AI governance and AI Act readiness.
- Europrivacy can provide recognised certification of the personal-data processing within the AI use case.
The two schemes complement each other. The AI Act addresses the broader risks and responsibilities associated with AI systems, while the GDPR governs the lawful and fair processing of personal data.
Organisations introducing AI should therefore consider privacy from the beginning, rather than treating it as a separate review at the end of a project. Considering Europrivacy early can help embed GDPR requirements into AI governance, create stronger evidence of accountability and reduce the risk of costly changes later.
Certification remains voluntary, nevertheless, used appropriately, AIA Cert and Europrivacy can help companies move from general commitments to documented, verifiable and trustworthy AI governance.
GRC Solutions, through GRC International Group, is an official ECCP partner for Europrivacy-related services. Its specialists can support organisations throughout their certification journey.