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European Union corporate body

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB)

The European Data Protection Board - Logo

Overview

  • Role: To ensure that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Law Enforcement Directive are consistently applied in the EU countries, as well as Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.
  • Chair: Anu Talus
  • Established in: 2018
  • Number of staff: 21
  • Location: Brussels
  • WebsiteEuropean Data Protection Board

The EDPB is an independent body which:

  • ensures that EU law in this field – especially the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Law Enforcement Directive – is consistently applied in all countries that are covered by it, and promotes cooperation among the national data protection authorities

What does the EDPB do?

  • provides general guidance (including guidelines, recommendations and best practice) to clarify the GDPR
  • adopts consistency findings, designed to make sure the GDPR is interpreted consistently by all national regulatory bodies, for example in cases relating to 2 or more countries
  • advises the European Commission on data protection issues and any proposed new EU legislation of particular importance for the protection of personal data
  • encourages national data protection authorities to work together and share information and best practices with each other

If you think your data has not been protected, you have 3 options:

  • contact the organisation holding your data
  • contact your national data protection authority
  • put the matter before a national court

National data protection authorities can conduct investigations and impose penalties where necessary.

Who is on the EDPB?

For day-to-day operations, the work of the EDPB receives analytical, administrative and logistical support from a secretariat provided by the EDPS. The members of the staff of the EDPB Secretariat are working under the instructions of the Chair of the EDPB.

Terms of EDPB-EDPS cooperation

How does the EDPB work?

The Board has regular meetings in Brussels, to discuss and make decisions on data protection related issues.

The decisions are made by the plenary meetings, gathering the head of national authorities, on the basis of preparatory work of expert subgroups meetings and of the EDPB Secretariat.

The EDPB and you

The work of the EDPB ensures that EU rules to protect your data are applied uniformly in every EU country – so that everyone has the same rights, no matter where they live.

It does this by:

  •  issuing guidelines for national authorities and stakeholders to ensure that the GDPR is  interpreted consistently
  • adopting consistency findings for national regulators to ensure they enforce the related legal rights and duties the same way in every country
  • it is also a source of expertise on data protection issues, advising the European Commission. This ensures that any new EU laws having an impact of particular importance on the protection of personal data will respect the fundamental right of personal data.

Further information

EDPB news

EDPB reports, opinions and recommendations

EDPB work programme

EDPB jobs

Contact

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB)

Name
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB)
Website
https://edpb.europa.eu/edpb_en
Email
edpbatedpb [dot] europa [dot] eu
Postal address
Rue Wiertz/Wiertzstraat 60, 1047 Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgium
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