Article 51 GDPR

← Article 51 - Supervisory authority →
Chapter 1: General provisions Article 1: Subject-matter and objectives Article 2: Material scope Article 3: Territorial scope Article 4: Definitions Chapter 2: Principles Article 5: Principles relating to processing of personal data Article 6: Lawfulness of processing Article 7: Conditions for consent Article 8: Conditions applicable to child’s consent in relation to information society services Article 9: Processing of special categories of personal data Article 10: Processing of personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences Article 11: Processing which does not require identification Chapter 3: Rights of the data subject Article 12: Transparent information, communication and modalities for the exercise of the rights of the data subject Article 13: Information to be provided where personal data are collected from the data subject Article 14: Information to be provided where personal data have not been obtained from the data subject Article 15: Right of access by the data subject Article 16: Right to rectification Article 17: Right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’) Article 18: Right to restriction of processing Article 19: Notification obligation regarding rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing Article 20: Right to data portability Article 21: Right to object Article 22: Automated individual decision-making, including profiling Article 23: Restrictions Chapter 4: Controller and processor Article 24: Responsibility of the controller Article 25: Data protection by design and by default Article 26: Joint controllers Article 27: Representatives of controllers or processors not established in the Union Article 28: Processor Article 29: Processing under the authority of the controller or processor Article 30: Records of processing activities Article 31: Cooperation with the supervisory authority Article 32: Security of processing Article 33: Notification of a personal data breach to the supervisory authority Article 34: Communication of a personal data breach to the data subject Article 35: Data protection impact assessment Article 36: Prior consultation Article 37: Designation of the data protection officer Article 38: Position of the data protection officer Article 39: Tasks of the data protection officer Article 40: Codes of conduct Article 41: Monitoring of approved codes of conduct Article 42: Certification Article 43: Certification bodies Chapter 5: Transfers of personal data Article 44: General principle for transfers Article 45: Transfers on the basis of an adequacy decision Article 46: Transfers subject to appropriate safeguards Article 47: Binding corporate rules Article 48: Transfers or disclosures not authorised by Union law Article 49: Derogations for specific situations Article 50: International cooperation for the protection of personal data Chapter 6: Supervisory authorities Article 51: Supervisory authority Article 52: Independence Article 53: General conditions for the members of the supervisory authority Article 54: Rules on the establishment of the supervisory authority Article 55: Competence Article 56: Competence of the lead supervisory authority Article 57: Tasks Article 58: Powers Article 59: Activity reports Chapter 7: Cooperation and consistency Article 60: Cooperation between the lead supervisory authority and the other supervisory authorities concerned Article 61: Mutual assistance Article 62: Joint operations of supervisory authorities Article 63: Consistency mechanism Article 64: Opinion of the Board Article 65: Dispute resolution by the Board Article 66: Urgency procedure Article 67: Exchange of information Article 68: European Data Protection Board Article 69: Independence Article 70: Tasks of the Board Article 71: Reports Article 72: Procedure Article 73: Chair Article 74: Tasks of the Chair Article 75: Secretariat Article 76: Confidentiality Chapter 8: Remedies, liability and penalties Article 77: Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority Article 78: Right to an effective judicial remedy against a supervisory authority Article 79: Right to an effective judicial remedy against a controller or processor Article 80: Representation of data subjects Article 81: Suspension of proceedings Article 82: Right to compensation and liability Article 83: General conditions for imposing administrative fines Article 84: Penalties Chapter 9: Specific processing situations Article 85: Processing and freedom of expression and information Article 86: Processing and public access to official documents Article 87: Processing of the national identification number Article 88: Processing in the context of employment Article 89: Safeguards and derogations relating to processing for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes Article 90: Obligations of secrecy Article 91: Existing data protection rules of churches and religious associations Chapter 10: Delegated and implementing acts Article 92: Exercise of the delegation Article 93: Committee procedure Chapter 11: Final provisions Article 94: Repeal of Directive 95: /46: /EC Article 95: Relationship with Directive 20: 02: /58: /EC Article 96: Relationship with previously concluded Agreements Article 97: Commission reports Article 98: Review of other Union legal acts on data protection Article 99: Entry into force and application

Legal Text

Article 51 - Supervisory authority

1. Each Member State shall provide for one or more independent public authorities to be responsible for monitoring the application of this Regulation, in order to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons in relation to processing and to facilitate the free flow of personal data within the Union (‘supervisory authority’).

2. Each supervisory authority shall contribute to the consistent application of this Regulation throughout the Union. For that purpose, the supervisory authorities shall cooperate with each other and the Commission in accordance with Chapter VII.

3. Where more than one supervisory authority is established in a Member State, that Member State shall designate the supervisory authority which is to represent those authorities in the Board and shall set out the mechanism to ensure compliance by the other authorities with the rules relating to the consistency mechanism referred to in Article 63.

4. Each Member State shall notify to the Commission the provisions of its law which it adopts pursuant to this Chapter, by 25 May 2018 and, without delay, any subsequent amendment affecting them.

Relevant Recitals

Recital 117: Establishment of Independent Supervisory Authorities

The establishment of supervisory authorities in Member States, empowered to perform their tasks and exercise their powers with complete independence, is an essential component of the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of their personal data. Member States should be able to establish more than one supervisory authority, to reflect their constitutional, organisational and administrative structure.

Recital 118: Control and Monitoring of Supervisory Authorities

The independence of supervisory authorities should not mean that the supervisory authorities cannot be subject to control or monitoring mechanisms regarding their financial expenditure or to judicial review.

Recital 119: Participation in Consistency Mechanism in Case of Multiple Supervisory Authorities

Where a Member State establishes several supervisory authorities, it should establish by law mechanisms for ensuring the effective participation of those supervisory authorities in the consistency mechanism. That Member State should in particular designate the supervisory authority which functions as a single contact point for the effective participation of those authorities in the mechanism, to ensure swift and smooth cooperation with other supervisory authorities, the Board and the Commission.

Commentary

Chapter VI of the GDPR is dedicated to supervisory authorities. Section 1 regulates the establishment of SAs and the requirements that the Member State must enforce to ensure their independence and proper functioning. Section 2 defines the tasks and powers of SAs.

(1) Establishment of One or More Competent Authorities

Pursuant to Article 51(1)GDPR, each Member State must appoint at least one independent supervisory authority (SA). This means that several SAs can co-exist in one Member State due to their constitutional organisation (e.g. see Germany of Spain ) or due to the division of competence (e.g. one SA competent for private sector and another one for the public sector).

The SA's main task is to monitor the correct application of the GDPR for the specific purpose of protecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals. This includes, of course, the right to fair, transparent and lawful data processing as well as, among the other, the rights of access, rectification, erasure and objection. Protection also extends to all rights and freedoms guaranteed by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

At the same time, in line with the general objectives of the GDPR (Article 1 GDPR), SAs will also be required to facilitate the free flow of information within the European Union, thus taking into account the requirements of the single market. The role of SAs is therefore double: not only protecting personal data as a fundamental right, but also facilitating the free flow of personal data within the Union.

(2) Consistent Application of the GDPR

SAs must contribute to the consistent application of the GDPR throughout the entire EU. The use of the verb "contribute" denotes a form of proactive participation specifically aimed at (i) the "consistent monitoring and enforcement of this Regulation" and, according to Recital 135, (ii) the uniform application of the law. Accordingly, SAs are required to identify any problems (e.g. inactivity of a DPA involved in a collegial decision-making process) and act for its prompt resolution.

The second part of Article 51(2) SAs must cooperate with each other and the Commission in accordance with Chapter VII of the GDPR. This is an essential feature of the SAs' action, considered as one of the tools for fostering "contribution" to the consistent application of the GDPR.

Article 51(2) confirms the "hybrid position of DPAs between the EU and national levels. DPAs are not the only such hybrid bodies within the EU, since many EU agencies and national agencies are similarly positioned. However, the status of DPAs is specific, in view of their complete independence, which excludes any direct or indirect influence by national governments or the Commission".

(3) Several SAs are Established in one Member State

Where a Member State establishes several supervisory authorities, it should establish by law mechanisms for ensuring the effective participation of those supervisory authorities in the consistency mechanism. That Member State should in particular designate the supervisory authority which functions as a single contact point for the effective participation of those authorities in the mechanism, to ensure swift and smooth cooperation with other supervisory authorities, the Board and the Commission (see also Article 68(4) GDPR).

Article 51(3) GDPR is particularly relevant for Member States with a federal structure. Germany, for example, consists of 16 Länder each with its own SA (similar situation in Spain, where there are separate SAs for Catalonia and the Basque Country). Under Article 51(3), Member States in this situation must (i) designate which of these authorities represents the Member State in the EDPB and (ii) ensure that all federal SAs accept the procedures and effects of the consistency mechanism.

(4) Notification to the Commission

Member States should notify the Commission of the measures adopted to create their SAs. Non compliance with the requirements of the GDPR relating to the establishment of an independent SA can lead to an infringement procedure under Article 258 TFEU.

Decisions

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