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Article 18 — Documentation keeping

APPLIES DEC 2, 2027 WAS 2026-08-02 AMENDED BY OMNIBUS
Chapter III · High-risk tier
Source: EUR-Lex · CELEX 32024R1689
Verified 2026-07-16
PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY — ORIGINAL INTERPRETATION, NOT THE OFFICIAL TEXT

Providers must keep the main compliance records available to national authorities for ten years after a high-risk system is placed on the market or put into service: the technical documentation, quality-management records, notified-body approvals of changes and other notified-body decisions, and the EU declaration of conformity. Member States decide how records stay accessible if a provider goes bankrupt or ceases trading. Financial institutions must hold the technical documentation within the records their sectoral law already requires.

AMENDED BY THE DIGITAL OMNIBUS ON AI

This provision's application date moved under the Omnibus. It now applies from 2027-12-02 (originally 2026-08-02). Source: Omnibus final text (OJ pending) · verified 2026-07-16

OFFICIAL TEXT Read verbatim on EUR-Lex ↗
The authoritative wording lives on EUR-Lex, quoted there in all 24 languages. We deep-link to the paragraph level rather than reproducing the full text. The consolidated post-Omnibus version will be linked the day its CELEX publishes.
AT A GLANCE
Chapter: III — High-risk AI systems
Applies: Dec 2, 2027
Tier: High-risk tier
RELATED
Provider obligations →Compliance guidance →
PENALTY EXPOSURE
€15M or 3%
of worldwide turnover — see Art. 99 penalties framework.
← PREVIOUS · ART. 17 Quality management system NEXT · ART. 19 → Automatically generated logs
ELSEWHERE IN CHAPTER III — High-risk AI systems
Art. 6 Classification rules for high-risk AI systems Art. 7 Amendments to Annex III Art. 8 Compliance with the requirements Art. 9 Risk management system Art. 10 Data and data governance Art. 11 Technical documentation Art. 12 Record-keeping Art. 13 Transparency and provision of information to d