Art. 10 Independence, impartiality and objectivity | Scientific panel of independent experts | AI act

This article sets out the core independence and integrity obligations for experts serving on the scientific panel.

It establishes that experts act in a personal capacity only, must remain free from any employment or contractual ties to AI providers throughout their term of office, and are required to declare any interests that could compromise their independence, impartiality and objectivity.

This article closely reinforces the selection criteria established in Article 3, translating those requirements into ongoing, enforceable obligations.

The AI Office is given the power to enforce compliance, up to and including removal from the panel.

Important points:

Experts must not be employed by or in a contractual relationship with any provider of AI systems or general-purpose AI models for the duration of their term of office.
Experts are required to submit a declaration of interest at the point of application and update it prior to appointment and whenever a change of circumstances occurs.
The AI Office may take all appropriate measures, including dismissing an expert, where any of these obligations are not met.

1. Experts shall be appointed or assigned in their personal capacity. They shall not delegate their responsibilities to any other person.
1. Experts shall be independent from any provider of AI systems or general-purpose AI models within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, requiring that the expert shall be neither an employee nor in a contractual relationship with such a provider throughout the term of office referred to in Article 4, which could affect their independence, impartiality and objectivity.
1. They shall make a declaration of interest indicating any interest which may compromise or may reasonably be perceived to compromise their independence, impartiality and objectivity, including any relevant circumstances relating to their close family members. A template for such declaration of interest shall be provided as an Annex to the call for expression of interest and the declaration of interest shall be submitted as part of the application.
1. Experts shall update their declarations of interest:
  1. prior to the appointment to the scientific panel or prior to inclusion in the reserve list;
  2. whenever a change of circumstances occurs.
1. Where the obligations referred to in paragraphs 1 to 4 are not met, the AI Office may take all appropriate measures, including dismissing the expert from the scientific panel.

Article 10 Independence, impartiality and objectivity

Relevant recitals