Commission Decision (EU) 2018/1961Show full title

Article 2 Applicable exceptions and restrictions

1. Where the Commission exercises its duties with respect to data subjects' rights under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, it shall consider whether any of the exceptions laid down in that Regulation apply.

2. Subject to Articles 3 to 7 of this Decision, the Commission may restrict the application of Articles 14 to 17, 19, 20 and 35 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, as well as the principle of transparency laid down in Article 4(1)(a) of that Regulation, in so far as its provisions correspond to the right and obligations provided for in Articles 14 to 17, 19, 20 and 35 of that Regulation, where the exercise of those rights and obligations would jeopardise the purpose of the Commission's activities under Articles 118 and 119 (2) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, including by revealing its audit tools and methods or would adversely affect the rights and freedoms of other data subjects.

3. Subject to Articles 3 to 7, the Commission may restrict the rights and obligations referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article in relation to personal data obtained from other Union institutions, bodies, agencies and offices, competent authorities of Member States or third countries or from international organisations in the following circumstances:

(a) where the exercise of those rights and obligations could be restricted by other Union institutions, bodies, agencies and offices on the basis of other acts provided for in Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 or in accordance with Chapter IX of that Regulation or in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council(1) or Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939(2);

(b) where the exercise of those rights and obligations could be restricted by competent authorities of Member States on the basis of acts referred to in Article 23 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council(3), or under national measures transposing Articles 13(3), 15(3) or 16(3) of Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council(4);

(c) where the exercise of those rights and obligations could jeopardise the Commission's cooperation with third countries or international organisations in the conduct of internal audit activities.

Before applying restrictions in the circumstances referred to in points (a) and (b) of the first subparagraph, the Commission shall consult the relevant Union institutions, bodies, agencies, offices or competent authorities of the Member States unless it is clear to the Commission that the application of a restriction is provided for by one of the acts referred to in those points or such consultation would jeopardise the purpose of its activities under Articles 118 and 119(2) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046.

Point (c) of the first subparagraph shall not apply where the interest of the Commission to cooperate with third countries or international organisations is overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subjects.

4. Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 are without prejudice to the application of other Commission decisions laying down internal rules concerning the provision of information to data subjects and the restriction of certain rights under Article 25 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 and to Article 23 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission.

(1)

Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and replacing and repealing Council Decisions 2009/371/JHA, 2009/934/JHA, 2009/935/JHA, 2009/936/JHA and 2009/968/JHA (OJ L 135, 24.5.2016, p. 53).

(2)

Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 of 12 October 2017 implementing enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (‘the EPPO’, OJ L 283, 31.10.2017, p. 1).

(3)

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) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1).

(4)

Directive (EU) 2016/680 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 by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties, and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Council Framework Decision 2008/977/JHA (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 89).