Article 93 GDPR
Legal Text
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 8 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011, in conjunction with Article 5 thereof, shall apply.
Relevant Recitals
Commentary
The GDPR provides for the Commission to adopt implementing acts within the meaning of Article 291(2) TFEU. Implementing acts for the objectives of Article 291 TFEU serve the purpose of ensuring the uniform implementation of binding legal acts of the Union, in this instance, the GDPR. In principle, binding acts of the Union are implemented by each individual Member State in accordance with their national law (Article 291(1) TFEU). However, these implementing powers may be conferred upon the Commission in the absence of uniform conditions for implementing legally binding Union acts (Article 291(2) TFEU). The purpose of Article 93 is to regulate this conferral.[1]
(1) Implementing acts
The adoption of implementing acts can be delegated to the Commission (Article 291 TFEU). In such a case, the Commission “shall be assisted by a committee”, as Article 93(1) euphemistically puts it.[2] In clearer words, the Commission is obliged to involve a Committee in accordance with this provision. This Committee shall be composed of representatives of the Member States according to Article 3(2) of Regulation (EU) No. 182/2011.[3]
(2) Examination procedure under Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No. 182/2011
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 establishes different procedures for the adoption of implementing acts. Article 93(2), however, refers exclusively to the so-called "examination procedure" provided for in Article 5 Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. This procedure is generally foreseen for (a) implementing acts of general scope and (b) other implementing acts relating to programmes with substantial implications, including the intervention of a committee composed of representatives of each Member State.
GDPR cases where the examination procedure is referred to
Specifically, the GDPR provides the Commission with the power to adopt implementing acts in several occasions. For example, in Article 28(7) (standard contractual clauses between controllers and processors and between processors), Article 40(9) (codes of conduct), Article 43(9) (technical standards and mechanisms for certification), Article 45(3) (the adequate level of protection afforded by a third country, a territory or a specified sector within that third country, or an international organisation), Article 45(5) (revocation, change of such determinations), Article 46(2)(c) and (d) (standard protection clauses), Article 47(3) (formats and procedures for the exchange of information by electronic means between controllers, processors and supervisory authorities for binding corporate rules), Article 61(9) (mutual assistance), and lastly Article 67 (arrangements for the exchange of information by electronic means between supervisory authorities, and between supervisory authorities and the Board).[4]
Procedural aspects
The Commission proposes the measures to be taken and the committee gives its opinion, generally by a qualified majority vote (55% of the Member States representing at least 65% of the population). If the majority indicated in favour of the draft act is reached (favourable opinion), the Commission adopts the implementing act. If not (negative opinion), the President of the Commission may submit an amended version to the Committee, in accordance with various procedures. If neither a favourable nor an unfavourable opinion is obtained, the Commission may decide to adopt the implementing act anyway.
(3) Urgency procedure under Article 8 of Regulation (EU) No. 182/2011
Under Article 8 of Regulation (EU) No. 182/2011 (by way of derogation from Articles 4 and 5) on duly justified imperative grounds of urgency, a basic act may provide that the Commission adopts an implementing act which shall apply immediately, without prior submission to a committee. This implementing act will remain in force for a maximum period of 6 months, unless the basic act provides otherwise. At the latest, 14 days after its adoption, the chair shall submit the urgent act to the relevant committee in order to obtain its opinion. In Recital 159, the GDPR provides for the only case of “imperative urgency”. In particular, “[t]he Commission should adopt immediately applicable implementing acts where available evidence reveals that a third country, a territory or a specified sector within that third country, or an international organisation does not ensure an adequate level of protection, and imperative grounds of urgency so require.”
Decisions
→ You can find all related decisions in Category:Article 93 GDPR
References
- ↑ Herbst in Kühling, Buchner, DS-GVO BDSG, Article 93 GDPR, margin number 1 (C.H. Beck 2020, 3rd Edition).
- ↑ Ehmann, in Ehman, Selmayr, Datenschutz-Grundverordnung, Article 93 GDPR, margin number 1 (C. H. Beck 2018, 2nd ed.)
- ↑ This provision does not concern the adoption of delegated acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU. The heading of Chapter X (“Delegated Acts and Implementing Acts”), which consists only of Articles 92 and 93, may at first suggest that the provision is also related to delegated acts, but is misleading in this respect.
- ↑ Recital 168.