interactive GDPR 2016/0679 EN

whereas independence:

• whereas (20) 1
• whereas (117) 1
• whereas (118) 1
• whereas (121) 1

definitions:

• personal data
• processing
• restriction of processing
• profiling
• pseudonymisation
• filing system
• controller
• processor
• recipient
• third party
• consent
• personal data breach
• genetic data
• biometric data
• data concerning health
• main establishment
• representative
• enterprise
• group of undertakings
• binding corporate rules
• supervisory authority
• supervisory authority concerned
• cross-border processing
• relevant and reasoned objection
• information society service
• international organisation

Article 23

Restrictions

1.   Union or Member State law to which the data controller or processor is subject may restrict by way of a legislative measure the scope of the obligations and rights provided for in Articles 12 to 22 and Article 34, as well as Article 5 in so far as its provisions correspond to the rights and obligations provided for in Articles 12 to 22, when such a restriction respects the essence of the fundamental rights and freedoms and is a necessary and proportionate measure in a democratic society to safeguard:

(a)	national security;

(b)

defence;

(c)	public security;

(d)	the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, including the safeguarding against and the prevention of threats to public security;

(e)	other important objectives of general public interest of the Union or of a Member State, in particular an important economic or financial interest of the Union or of a Member State, including monetary, budgetary and taxation a matters, public health and social security;

(f)	the protection of judicial independence and judicial proceedings;

(g)	the prevention, investigation, detection and prosecution of breaches of ethics for regulated professions;

(h)	a monitoring, inspection or regulatory function connected, even occasionally, to the exercise of official authority in the cases referred to in points (a) to (e) and (g);

(i)	the protection of the data subject or the rights and freedoms of others;

(j)	the enforcement of civil law claims.

2.   In particular, any legislative measure referred to in paragraph 1 shall contain specific provisions at least, where relevant, as to:

(a)	the purposes of the processing or categories of processing;

(b)	the categories of personal_data;

(c)	the scope of the restrictions introduced;

(d)	the safeguards to prevent abuse or unlawful access or transfer;

(e)	the specification of the controller or categories of controllers;

(f)	the storage periods and the applicable safeguards taking into account the nature, scope and purposes of the processing or categories of processing;

(g)	the risks to the rights and freedoms of data subjects; and

(h)	the right of data subjects to be informed about the restriction, unless that may be prejudicial to the purpose of the restriction.

CHAPTER IV

Controller and processor

Section 1

General obligations

Article 41

Monitoring of approved codes of conduct

1.   Without prejudice to the tasks and powers of the competent supervisory_authority under Articles 57 and 58, the monitoring of compliance with a code of conduct pursuant to Article 40 may be carried out by a body which has an appropriate level of expertise in relation to the subject-matter of the code and is accredited for that purpose by the competent supervisory_authority.

2.   A body as referred to in paragraph 1 may be accredited to monitor compliance with a code of conduct where that body has:

(a)	demonstrated its independence and expertise in relation to the subject-matter of the code to the satisfaction of the competent supervisory_authority;

(b)	established procedures which allow it to assess the eligibility of controllers and processors concerned to apply the code, to monitor their compliance with its provisions and to periodically review its operation;

(c)	established procedures and structures to handle complaints about infringements of the code or the manner in which the code has been, or is being, implemented by a controller or processor, and to make those procedures and structures transparent to data subjects and the public; and

(d)	demonstrated to the satisfaction of the competent supervisory_authority that its tasks and duties do not result in a conflict of interests.

3.   The competent supervisory_authority shall submit the draft criteria for accreditation of a body as referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article to the Board pursuant to the consistency mechanism referred to in Article 63.

4.   Without prejudice to the tasks and powers of the competent supervisory_authority and the provisions of Chapter VIII, a body as referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall, subject to appropriate safeguards, take appropriate action in cases of infringement of the code by a controller or processor, including suspension or exclusion of the controller or processor concerned from the code. It shall inform the competent supervisory_authority of such actions and the reasons for taking them.

5.   The competent supervisory_authority shall revoke the accreditation of a body as referred to in paragraph 1 if the conditions for accreditation are not, or are no longer, met or where actions taken by the body infringe this Regulation.

6.   This Article shall not apply to processing carried out by public authorities and bodies.

Article 43

Certification bodies

1.   Without prejudice to the tasks and powers of the competent supervisory_authority under Articles 57 and 58, certification bodies which have an appropriate level of expertise in relation to data protection shall, after informing the supervisory_authority in order to allow it to exercise its powers pursuant to point (h) of Article 58(2) where necessary, issue and renew certification. Member States shall ensure that those certification bodies are accredited by one or both of the following:

(a)	the supervisory_authority which is competent pursuant to Article 55 or 56;

(b)

the national accreditation body named in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (20) in accordance with EN-ISO/IEC 17065/2012 and with the additional requirements established by the supervisory_authority which is competent pursuant to Article 55 or 56.

2.   Certification bodies referred to in paragraph 1 shall be accredited in accordance with that paragraph only where they have:

(a)	demonstrated their independence and expertise in relation to the subject-matter of the certification to the satisfaction of the competent supervisory_authority;

(b)	undertaken to respect the criteria referred to in Article 42(5) and approved by the supervisory_authority which is competent pursuant to Article 55 or 56 or by the Board pursuant to Article 63;

(c)	established procedures for the issuing, periodic review and withdrawal of data protection certification, seals and marks;

(d)

established procedures and structures to handle complaints about infringements of the certification or the manner in which the certification has been, or is being, implemented by the controller or processor, and to make those procedures and structures transparent to data subjects and the public; and

(e)	demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the competent supervisory_authority, that their tasks and duties do not result in a conflict of interests.

3.   The accreditation of certification bodies as referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall take place on the basis of criteria approved by the supervisory_authority which is competent pursuant to Article 55 or 56 or by the Board pursuant to Article 63. In the case of accreditation pursuant to point (b) of paragraph 1 of this Article, those requirements shall complement those envisaged in Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 and the technical rules that describe the methods and procedures of the certification bodies.

4.   The certification bodies referred to in paragraph 1 shall be responsible for the proper assessment leading to the certification or the withdrawal of such certification without prejudice to the responsibility of the controller or processor for compliance with this Regulation. The accreditation shall be issued for a maximum period of five years and may be renewed on the same conditions provided that the certification body meets the requirements set out in this Article.

5.   The certification bodies referred to in paragraph 1 shall provide the competent supervisory authorities with the reasons for granting or withdrawing the requested certification.

6.   The requirements referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article and the criteria referred to in Article 42(5) shall be made public by the supervisory_authority in an easily accessible form. The supervisory authorities shall also transmit those requirements and criteria to the Board. The Board shall collate all certification mechanisms and data protection seals in a register and shall make them publicly available by any appropriate means.

7.   Without prejudice to Chapter VIII, the competent supervisory_authority or the national accreditation body shall revoke an accreditation of a certification body pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article where the conditions for the accreditation are not, or are no longer, met or where actions taken by a certification body infringe this Regulation.

8.   The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 92 for the purpose of specifying the requirements to be taken into account for the data protection certification mechanisms referred to in Article 42(1).

9.   The Commission may adopt implementing acts laying down technical standards for certification mechanisms and data protection seals and marks, and mechanisms to promote and recognise those certification mechanisms, seals and marks. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 93(2).

CHAPTER V

Transfers of personal_data to third countries or international_organisations

Article 52

independence

1.   Each supervisory_authority shall act with complete independence in performing its tasks and exercising its powers in accordance with this Regulation.

2.   The member or members of each supervisory_authority shall, in the performance of their tasks and exercise of their powers in accordance with this Regulation, remain free from external influence, whether direct or indirect, and shall neither seek nor take instructions from anybody.

3.   Member or members of each supervisory_authority shall refrain from any action incompatible with their duties and shall not, during their term of office, engage in any incompatible occupation, whether gainful or not.

4.   Each Member State shall ensure that each supervisory_authority is provided with the human, technical and financial resources, premises and infrastructure necessary for the effective performance of its tasks and exercise of its powers, including those to be carried out in the context of mutual assistance, cooperation and participation in the Board.

5.   Each Member State shall ensure that each supervisory_authority chooses and has its own staff which shall be subject to the exclusive direction of the member or members of the supervisory_authority concerned.

6.   Each Member State shall ensure that each supervisory_authority is subject to financial control which does not affect its independence and that it has separate, public annual budgets, which may be part of the overall state or national budget.

Article 54

Rules on the establishment of the supervisory_authority

1.   Each Member State shall provide by law for all of the following:

(a)	the establishment of each supervisory_authority;

(b)	the qualifications and eligibility conditions required to be appointed as member of each supervisory_authority;

(c)	the rules and procedures for the appointment of the member or members of each supervisory_authority;

(d)

the duration of the term of the member or members of each supervisory_authority of no less than four years, except for the first appointment after 24 May 2016, part of which may take place for a shorter period where that is necessary to protect the independence of the supervisory_authority by means of a staggered appointment procedure;

(e)	whether and, if so, for how many terms the member or members of each supervisory_authority is eligible for reappointment;

(f)	the conditions governing the obligations of the member or members and staff of each supervisory_authority, prohibitions on actions, occupations and benefits incompatible therewith during and after the term of office and rules governing the cessation of employment.

2.   The member or members and the staff of each supervisory_authority shall, in accordance with Union or Member State law, be subject to a duty of professional secrecy both during and after their term of office, with regard to any confidential information which has come to their knowledge in the course of the performance of their tasks or exercise of their powers. During their term of office, that duty of professional secrecy shall in particular apply to reporting by natural persons of infringements of this Regulation.

Section 2

Competence, tasks and powers

Article 69

independence

1.   The Board shall act independently when performing its tasks or exercising its powers pursuant to Articles 70 and 71.

2.   Without prejudice to requests by the Commission referred to in point (b) of Article 70(1) and in Article 70(2), the Board shall, in the performance of its tasks or the exercise of its powers, neither seek nor take instructions from anybody.