The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published on its website a register containing the decisions adopted by national data protection authorities pursuant to the One-Stop-Shop mechanism provided by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The register makes the decisions (to date there are 110) and related summaries prepared by the EDPB available in English.
The One-Stop-Shop mechanism (governed under Article 60 GDPR) is a procedure that applies to cross-border data processing, i.e., processing activities that take place in establishments in more than one Member State or that significantly affect data subjects in more than one Member State. The primary aim of the One-Stop-Shop mechanism is to ensure cooperation between the supervisory authorities of the Member States “hosting” cross-border data processing.
Specifically, under the One-Stop Shop mechanism, a lead supervisory authority is identified and has primary responsibility for the proceedings, including coordinating investigations of alleged GDPR breaches, involving the Supervisory Authorities of other Member States concerned by the conduct under scrutiny, drafting a decision, and so on.
Overall, the One-Stop-Shop mechanism aims to enhance harmonization and reduce uncertainty in those areas where EU Member States still retain a certain amount of leeway to specify further the provisions of the GDPR (e.g., employment rules, public health sector, and so on). As a consequence, under the One-Stop-Shop procedure, a company that is engaged in cross-border data processing activities might operate directly with the supervisory authority based in the Member State where the company itself is headquartered, while ensuring at the same time that the same issues are dealt with in a consistent way across the EU.
In this context, the newly introduced public register of One-Stop-Shop decisions is a very useful tool for entities processing personal data, and its launch represents another step toward harmonization of GDPR enforcement throughout the European Union.
The register published by the EDPB is available here.
