EU General Data Protection Regulation

(GDPR Full Text)

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is legislation that came into force on the 25th of May 2018 throughout the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA).  The Regulation relates to the data protection and privacy requirements associated with processing of personal data.  . We have collated the full, official GDPR text, including all articles and recitals, is collated below. If your organisation requires support to interpret the requirements and implications of the law, please contact us.

NB: Following the UK leaving the EU, the UK GDPR came into force by virtue of the Data Protection Act 2018. At present, the UK GDPR is exactly the same as the EU GDPR, so the below Articles and Recitals are still applicable in the UK context.

GDPR Articles and Recitals

4.5.2016 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | L 119/1 REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation)

GDPR Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1

General provisions

Chapter 1 introduces the fundamental concepts related to data protection and privacy and outlines the scope of the GDPR, including to whom the GDPR applies and what kinds of data it covers. 

Article 1 –  Subject-matter and objectives (Recitals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
Article 2 –  Material scope (Recitals 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
Article 3 –  Territorial scope (Recitals 22, 23, 24, 25)
Article 4 –  Definitions (Recitals 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)

CHAPTER 2

Principles

Chapter 2 defines the principles of the law relating to the processing of personal data, data relating to a child and special category data. It also stipulates the requirements for  processing personal data relating to criminal convictions and offenses. 

Article 5 –  Principles relating to processing of personal data (Recital 39)
Article 6 –  Lawfulness of processing (Recitals 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 155)
Article 7 –  Conditions for consent (Recitals 32, 33, 42, 43)
Article 8 –  Conditions applicable to child’s consent in relation to information society services (Recital 38)
Article 9 –  Processing of special categories of personal data (Recitals 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
Article 10 – Processing of personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences
Article 11 – Processing which does not require identification (Recitals 57, 64)

CHAPTER 3

Rights of the data subject

Under the GDPR, data subjects are provided specific rights relating to how their personal data is processed. 

Section 1 – Transparency and modalities
Article 12 – Transparent information, communication and modalities for the exercise of the rights of the data subject (Recitals 58, 59)

Section 2 – Information and access to personal data
Article 13 – Information to be provided where personal data are collected from the data subject (Recitals 60, 61, 62)
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 (Recitals 63, 64)

Section 3 Rectification and erasure
Article 16 – Right to rectification (Recital 65)
Article 17 – Right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’) (Recitals 65, 66)
Article 18 – Right to restriction of processing (Recital 67)
Article 19 – Notification obligation regarding rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing
Article 20 – Right to data portability (Recital 68)

Section 4 – Right to object and automated individual decision-making
Article 21 – Right to object (Recitals 69, 70)
Article 22 – Automated individual decision-making, including profiling (Recitals 71, 72)

Section 5 – Restrictions
Article 23 – Restrictions (Recital 73)

CHAPTER 4

Controller and processor

Chapter 4 states the obligations of the Data Controller and Data Processor. It also defines the role, position and tasks of a Data Protection Officer. 

Section 1 – General obligations
Article 24 – Responsibility of the controller (Recitals 74, 75, 76, 77, 83)
Article 25 – Data protection by design and by default (Recital 78)
Article 26 – Joint controllers (Recital 79)
Article 27 – Representatives of controllers or processors not established in the Union (Recital 80)
Article 28 – Processor (Recital 81)
Article 29 – Processing under the authority of the controller or processor
Article 30 – Records of processing activities (Recitals 13, 39, 82)
Article 31 – Cooperation with the supervisory authority

Section 2 – Security of personal data
Article 32 – Security of processing (Recitals 83, 74, 75, 76, 77)
Article 33 – Notification of a personal data breach to the supervisory authority (Recitals 75, 85, 87, 88)
Article 34 – Communication of a personal data breach to the data subject (Recitals 75, 86, 87, 88)

Section 3 – Data protection impact assessment and prior consultation
Article 35 – Data protection impact assessment (Recitals 75, 84, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
Article 36 – Prior consultation (Recitals 94, 95, 96)

Section 4 – Data protection officer
Article 37 – Designation of the data protection officer (Recital 97)
Article 38 – Position of the data protection officer (Recital 97)
Article 39 – Tasks of the data protection officer (Recital 97)

Section 5 – Codes of conduct and certification
Article 40 – Codes of conduct (Recitals 98, 99)
Article 41 – Monitoring of approved codes of conduct
Article 42 – Certification (Recital 100)
Article 43 – Certification bodies

CHAPTER 5

Transfers of personal data to third countries or international organisations

Chapter 5 outlines the obligations and appropriate safeguards that Data Controllers and Data Processors must apply when transferring personal data outside of the EU or EEA. 

Article 44 – General principle for transfers (Recitals 101, 102)
Article 45 – Transfers on the basis of an adequacy decision (Recitals 103, 104, 105, 106, 107)
Article 46 – Transfers subject to appropriate safeguards (Recitals 108, 109)
Article 47 – Binding corporate rules (Recitals 110)
Article 48 – Transfers or disclosures not authorised by Union law
Article 49 – Derogations for specific situations (Recitals 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116)
Article 50 – International cooperation for the protection of personal data

CHAPTER 6

Independent supervisory authorities

Chapter 6 defines the role, tasks and powers of the independent supervisory authorities that each EU Member State must appoint. 

Section 1 – Independent status
Article 51 – Supervisory authority (Recitals 117, 118, 119)
Article 52 – Independence (Recitals 118, 120)
Article 53 – General conditions for the members of the supervisory authority (Recital 121)
Article 54 – Rules on the establishment of the supervisory authority

Section 2 – Competence, tasks and powers
Article 55 – Competence (Recital 122)
Article 56 – Competence of the lead supervisory authority (Recitals 124, 125, 126, 127, 128)

Article 57 – Tasks (Recitals 123, 132)
Article 58 – Powers (Recital 129)
Article 59 – Activity reports

CHAPTER 7

Cooperation and consistency

Chapter 7 covers cooperation between supervisory authorities who are concerned with personal data protection and privacy. It also establishes the role and tasks of the European Data Protection Board. 

Section 1 – Cooperation
Article 60 – Cooperation between the lead supervisory authority and the other supervisory authorities concerned (Recitals 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 130, 131)
Article 61 – Mutual assistance (Recital 133)
Article 62 – Joint operations of supervisory authorities (Recital 134)

Section 2 – Consistency
Article 63 – Consistency mechanism (Recital 135)
Article 64 – Opinion of the Board (Recital 136)
Article 65 – Dispute resolution by the Board
Article 66 – Urgency procedure (Recitals 137, 138)
Article 67 – Exchange of information

Section 3 – European data protection board
Article 68 – European Data Protection Board (Recital 139)
Article 69 – Independence (Recital 139)
Article 70 – Tasks of the Board (Recital 139)
Article 71 – Reports
Article 72 – Procedure
Article 73 – Chair
Article 74 – Tasks of the Chair
Article 75 – Secretariat (Recital 140)
Article 76 – Confidentiality

CHAPTER 8

Remedies, liability and penalties

Chapter 8 defines the judicial remedies available in respect of supervisory authorities and Data Controllers and Processors.  It also defines the conditions for imposing fines and the associated penalties. 

Article 77 – Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (Recital 141)
Article 78 – Right to an effective judicial remedy against a supervisory authority (Recital 143)
Article 79 – Right to an effective judicial remedy against a controller or processor (Recital 145)
Article 80 – Representation of data subjects (Recital 142)
Article 81 – Suspension of proceedings (Recital 144)
Article 82 – Right to compensation and liability (Recitals 146, 147)
Article 83 – General conditions for imposing administrative fines (Recitals 148, 150, 151)
Article 84 – Penalties (Recitals 149, 152)

CHAPTER 9

Provisions relating to specific processing situations

Chapter 9 defines the processing situations relating to specific issues, safeguards and derogations as well as obligations around secrecy. 

Article 85 – Processing and freedom of expression and information (Recital 153)
Article 86 – Processing and public access to official documents (Recital 154)
Article 87 – Processing of the national identification number
Article 88 – Processing in the context of employment (Recital 155)
Article 89 – Safeguards and derogations relating to processing for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes (Recitals 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163)
Article 90 – Obligations of secrecy (Recital 164)
Article 91 – Existing data protection rules of churches and religious associations (Recital 165)

CHAPTER 10

Delegated acts and implementing acts

Chapter 10 defines the implementing and delegating acts that are relevant to the GDPR. 

Article 92 – Exercise of the delegation (Recitals 166, 167, 168, 169, 170)
Article 93 – Committee procedure

CHAPTER 11

Final provisions

Chapter 11 repeals the previous EU legislation and defines the relationship with other related Directives and Agreements.  It also contains confirmation of the date upon which the GDPR came into force.

Article 94 – Repeal of Directive 95/46/EC (Recital 171)
Article 95 – Relationship with Directive 2002/58/EC (Recital 173)
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