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Compliance Guide · Story-Pack OCC-002

EU AI Act for SMEs:
Compliant in 5 Steps.

The EU AI Act is in force. Prohibited practices effective February 2025. High-risk compliance by August 2026. This guide shows the way — clear, free, OCC.

EU AI Act compliance path for SMEs
Aug 2024 EU AI Act in force ✓
Feb 2025 Prohibited practices ✓
Aug 2025 GPAI obligations →
Aug 2026 High-risk compliance

Step 1: Classify: What Applies to Me?

Create an AI inventory. Check each system against EU AI Act Annex III. Rule out prohibited practices (Art. 5). The OCC assistant helps with classification.

  • Create AI inventory (all AI systems in your organization)
  • Check each system against Annex III
  • Exclude prohibited practices (Art. 5)
OCC Resource: EU AI Act in Glossary →

Step 2: Assess: Risk Assessment

Apply NIST AI RMF MAP function. Establish risk tier: minimal / limited / high. Document impact assessment (Art. 9). OCC provides the framework free of charge.

  • Apply NIST AI RMF MAP function
  • Establish risk tier
  • Document impact assessment (Art. 9)
OCC Resource: NIST AI RMF in Glossary →

Step 3: Act: High-Risk Systems

For high-risk AI: Risk Management System (Art. 9), Data Governance (Art. 10), Technical Documentation (Art. 11), Human Oversight (Art. 14). OCC explains every term in 4 reading levels.

  • Build Risk Management System
  • Document Data Governance
  • Implement Human Oversight (Art. 14)
  • Technical Documentation (Art. 11)
OCC Resource: High-Risk AI Classification →

Step 4: Prove: Conformity Assessment

For high-risk systems: conduct conformity assessment (Art. 43), CE marking, EU database registration. For simpler systems: self-declaration.

  • Choose conformity assessment procedure (Art. 43)
  • Prepare CE marking
  • Check EU database registration
OCC Resource: Conformity Assessment →

Step 5: Ongoing: OCC as Companion

OCC updates with new EU AI Act delegated regulations, ISO 42001 revisions, NIST updates. No subscription, no login — always free.

  • Bookmark OCC Glossary
  • Use OCC assistant for ad-hoc questions
  • Check Source Registry for new standards
OCC Resource: View all sources →

Specific questions? Ask the OCC assistant.

The OCC assistant answers compliance questions grounded in EU AI Act, ISO 42001, GDPR. Anonymous, no login, EU-hosted.

Open AI assistant →
Note: This guide is for orientation and does not replace legal advice. OCC content is CC-BY 4.0 — free to use with attribution.