GDPR has been APPROVED! – Roadmap to approval

 

Wednesday January 25^th, 2012

4 years, 2 months, 20 days

OR

1541 days later…

Thursday April 14^th, 2016

General Data Protection Regulation

has been APPROVED

 

“The European Parliament,

(…)

1. Approves the Council position at first reading;
2. Notes that the act is adopted in accordance with the Council position;
3. Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council, in accordance with Article 297(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
4. Instructs its Secretary-General to sign the act, once it has been verified that all the procedures have been duly completed, and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of the Council, to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;
5. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.”

 

Following are the steps which led to the GDPR approval (see also: Overview of roadmap for General Data Protection Regulation).

 

Step 1 – Proposal (European Commission)

On January 25 2012 the European Commission published the first draft of the proposal ((COM(2012)0011)).

The proposal was expected to replace the previous Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC.

 

Step 2 – First reading in the European Parliament

• After intense lobbying, which led to 3999 amendments only in the LIBE Committee, the full European Parliament confirmed the committee’s texts in a vote on 12 March 2014 (Texts adopted).

 

Step 3 – Council of the European Union – adoption of a “General Approach”  

• The Council of the European Union adopted a “General Approach” on 15 June 2015. 

General Approach led the Council to begin negotiations with the European Parliament with the aim to reach an overall agreement on new EU data protection rules.

 

Step 4 – Interinstitutional meetings (Trilogues)

• The kick-off trilogue meeting with the Parliament was held on 24 June 2015 (See: data protection reform timetable).

• European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the European Union) finally reached a deal on the (new) Data Protection Regulation on 15 December 2015. (See: The agreement has been reached…)

 

Step 5 – First reading in the Council of the European Union

• The Council of the European Union adopted its position at first reading on data protection reform on 8 April 2016 (See also: GDPR… ready for the last step!).

 

Step 6 – Second (and final) reading in the European Parliament

• The European Parliament approved the Council position at first reading on 14 April 2016 and completed the legislative process.

 

The Regulation is now expected to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and shall enter into force on the twentieth day following the publication.