Compliance

Certification

Voluntary national AI certification programme administered by MDIA.

How the laws define this

Regulatory frameworks establish certification as a formal evaluation or audit process that assesses an AI product, technology, operational procedure, or prevention model against specified benchmarks, control practices, or standards to issue an official recognition of compliance. The primary divergence lies in whether the scheme functions as a voluntary market incentive or a formal administrative requirement for operational deployment. Instruments like Malta’s Ultimate AI Launchpad strategy, Malta’s Ethical AI Framework, and the National Programme for Green Algorithms define certification as a voluntary evaluation pathway that yields quality seals, procurement preferences, or reputational benefits. In contrast, Decreto N° 662/2025, the AI Product and System Evaluation Centre, and the ICAO Guidance on AI in Aviation present certification as an administrative process or formal verification step necessary to fulfill statutory standards, prove operational design readiness, or obtain official authorization and registry listing for market deployment.

Synthesised from the 6 statutory definitions below. Each one is quoted in full, with its source.

How jurisdictions differ

What is distinctive in each definition, binding law in force first. Showing 5 of the 6 instruments that define this term; all are listed under Definitions below.

Jurisdiction	Instrument	Status	What is distinctive
Malta	Malta — The Ultimate AI Launchpad: A Strategy and Vision for Artificial Intelligence in Malta 2030	In Force	Adds auditor registration, certification issuance by registered Systems Auditors, and market-based enforcement like suspension, revocation, and procurement preferences.
Taiwan	AI Product and System Evaluation Centre (AIEC)	In Force	Limits certification to formal recognition by AIEC after evaluations for market deployment and trusted designation of AI products.
ICAO	ICAO Guidance on AI in Aviation	Adopted	Widens certification to verifying aircraft, components, systems, or procedures incorporating AI against aviation design, manufacturing, and operational standards.
Spain	National Programme for Green Algorithms	Adopted	Adds audit and accreditation awarding a Green Tech quality seal for technologies meeting PNAV energy- and resource-efficient AI standards.
Malta	Malta — Towards Ethical and Trustworthy AI (Malta's Ethical AI Framework)	Adopted	Specifies voluntary third-party evaluation and audit by third parties producing certification outcomes for market access, procurement, or reputational purposes.

Definitions (6)

Denotes the voluntary national programme administered by the Malta Digital Innovation Authority in which registered Systems Auditors assess AI systems against the criteria of Malta’s Ethical AI Framework; the regime includes auditor registration, certification issuance, and market-based enforcement such as suspension/revocation and procurement preferences.

Malta — The Ultimate AI Launchpad: A Strategy and Vision for Artificial Intelligence in Malta 2030Definition 1 of 6

A voluntary third‑party evaluation and audit process against the Framework's control practices, producing certification outcomes intended to demonstrate conformity with the Framework for market access, procurement or reputational purposes.

Malta — Towards Ethical and Trustworthy AI (Malta's Ethical AI Framework)Definition 2 of 6

The formal recognition awarded by the AIEC indicating that an AI product has passed required evaluations and meets the prescribed standards and conditions for market deployment and trusted designation within Taiwan's evaluation system.

AI Product and System Evaluation Centre (AIEC)Definition 3 of 6

An audit and accreditation pathway that awards a Green Tech quality seal to technologies or services that meet PNAV standards and criteria, involving pilot audits, audit reports and certification procedures developed in coordination with standards bodies like UNE/AENOR.

National Programme for Green Algorithms (Programa Nacional de Algoritmos Verdes - PNAV)Definition 4 of 6

The administrative process by which the Agency evaluates an MPI against statutory and regulatory benchmarks, issues a certificate of compliance for a defined term (commonly three years), and records the certified MPI in the National Registry, subject to monitoring and possible revocation.

Decreto N° 662/2025 — Reglamento que regula los Modelos de Prevención de Infracciones (Regulation for Prevention Models under Law 21.719)Definition 5 of 6

The process of formally verifying that an aircraft, component, system, or operational procedure, including those incorporating AI, meets specified design, manufacturing, and operational standards and requirements.

ICAO Guidance on AI in AviationDefinition 6 of 6

Not to be confused with

Certificate

While certification is the programme or process, certificate refers specifically to the MDIA-issued attestation of an ITA's attributes and behaviours.

AI Evaluation

Certification involves formal recognition or issuance after assessment, whereas AI evaluation is the broader systematic assessment itself without guaranteed outcomes.

AI Auditing

Certification produces outcomes like seals or listings from audits, while AI auditing is the examination process without specifying certification results.

Questions and answers

What enforcement applies to Malta's AI certification?

It includes market-based enforcement such as suspension or revocation of certification and procurement preferences. This operates within the voluntary national programme.

Does Taiwan AIEC certification enable market deployment?

Yes, it indicates that an AI product has passed evaluations and meets standards for market deployment and trusted designation in Taiwan.

Is Malta's Ethical AI Framework certification mandatory?

No, it is a voluntary third-party evaluation and audit process intended to demonstrate conformity for market access, procurement, or reputational purposes.