---
title: "Art. 58 GDPR: Powers"
canonical: "https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/58"
source: "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679#art_58"
source_note: "Source: Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Official Journal L 119, 4.5.2016, as corrected. Only the text published in the Official Journal is authentic. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu"
text_as_of: "2026-10-28"
last_reviewed: "2026-10-29"
language: "en"
publisher: "DPO School"
---

Art. 58 GDPR · Chapter VI: Independent supervisory authorities · Section 2: Competence, tasks and powers

# Article 58 GDPR: Powers

Text as of 28 October 2026 · [Reviewed by Sergio Maldonado Elvira on 29 October 2026](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/about#review)

## Official text

### Article 58(1)

**1.** Each supervisory authority shall have all of the following investigative powers:

#### Article 58(1)(a)

**(a)** to order the controller and the processor, and, where applicable, the controller's or the processor's representative to provide any information it requires for the performance of its tasks;

#### Article 58(1)(b)

**(b)** to carry out investigations in the form of data protection audits;

#### Article 58(1)(c)

**(c)** to carry out a review on certifications issued pursuant to Article 42(7);

#### Article 58(1)(d)

**(d)** to notify the controller or the processor of an alleged infringement of this Regulation;

#### Article 58(1)(e)

**(e)** to obtain, from the controller and the processor, access to all personal data and to all information necessary for the performance of its tasks;

#### Article 58(1)(f)

**(f)** to obtain access to any premises of the controller and the processor, including to any data processing equipment and means, in accordance with Union or Member State procedural law.

### Article 58(2)

**2.** Each supervisory authority shall have all of the following corrective powers:

#### Article 58(2)(a)

**(a)** to issue warnings to a controller or processor that intended processing operations are likely to infringe provisions of this Regulation;

#### Article 58(2)(b)

**(b)** to issue reprimands to a controller or a processor where processing operations have infringed provisions of this Regulation;

#### Article 58(2)(c)

**(c)** to order the controller or the processor to comply with the data subject's requests to exercise his or her rights pursuant to this Regulation;

#### Article 58(2)(d)

**(d)** to order the controller or processor to bring processing operations into compliance with the provisions of this Regulation, where appropriate, in a specified manner and within a specified period;

#### Article 58(2)(e)

**(e)** to order the controller to communicate a personal data breach to the data subject;

#### Article 58(2)(f)

**(f)** to impose a temporary or definitive limitation including a ban on processing;

#### Article 58(2)(g)

**(g)** to order the rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing pursuant to Articles 16, 17 and 18 and the notification of such actions to recipients to whom the personal data have been disclosed pursuant to Article 17(2) and Article 19;

#### Article 58(2)(h)

**(h)** to withdraw a certification or to order the certification body to withdraw a certification issued pursuant to Articles 42 and 43, or to order the certification body not to issue certification if the requirements for the certification are not or are no longer met;

#### Article 58(2)(i)

**(i)** to impose an administrative fine pursuant to Article 83, in addition to, or instead of measures referred to in this paragraph, depending on the circumstances of each individual case;

#### Article 58(2)(j)

**(j)** to order the suspension of data flows to a recipient in a third country or to an international organisation.

### Article 58(3)

**3.** Each supervisory authority shall have all of the following authorisation and advisory powers:

#### Article 58(3)(a)

**(a)** to advise the controller in accordance with the prior consultation procedure referred to in Article 36;

#### Article 58(3)(b)

**(b)** to issue, on its own initiative or on request, opinions to the national parliament, the Member State government or, in accordance with Member State law, to other institutions and bodies as well as to the public on any issue related to the protection of personal data;

#### Article 58(3)(c)

**(c)** to authorise processing referred to in Article 36(5), if the law of the Member State requires such prior authorisation;

#### Article 58(3)(d)

**(d)** to issue an opinion and approve draft codes of conduct pursuant to Article 40(5);

#### Article 58(3)(e)

**(e)** to accredit certification bodies pursuant to Article 43;

#### Article 58(3)(f)

**(f)** to issue certifications and approve criteria of certification in accordance with Article 42(5);

#### Article 58(3)(g)

**(g)** to adopt standard data protection clauses referred to in Article 28(8) and in point (d) of Article 46(2);

#### Article 58(3)(h)

**(h)** to authorise contractual clauses referred to in point (a) of Article 46(3);

#### Article 58(3)(i)

**(i)** to authorise administrative arrangements referred to in point (b) of Article 46(3);

#### Article 58(3)(j)

**(j)** to approve binding corporate rules pursuant to Article 47.

### Article 58(4)

**4.** The exercise of the powers conferred on the supervisory authority pursuant to this Article shall be subject to appropriate safeguards, including effective judicial remedy and due process, set out in Union and Member State law in accordance with the Charter.

### Article 58(5)

**5.** Each Member State shall provide by law that its supervisory authority shall have the power to bring infringements of this Regulation to the attention of the judicial authorities and where appropriate, to commence or engage otherwise in legal proceedings, in order to enforce the provisions of this Regulation.

### Article 58(6)

**6.** Each Member State may provide by law that its supervisory authority shall have additional powers to those referred to in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3. The exercise of those powers shall not impair the effective operation of Chapter VII.

## Source

Source: Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Official Journal L 119, 4.5.2016, as corrected. Only the text published in the Official Journal is authentic. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu

[Article 58 on EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679#art_58)

Text as of 28 October 2026.

This is reference material, not legal advice.

## Related recitals

This list is under review.

- [Recital 122](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/recital/122)
- [Recital 129](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/recital/129)

## Court of Justice judgments

### [C-768/21, TR v Land Hessen](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/case/c-768-21)

Judgment of 26 September 2024 · ECLI:EU:C:2024:785

After finding a breach, a supervisory authority need not impose a fine or other corrective measure where that is not appropriate, necessary or proportionate to remedy the shortcoming.

[CURIA](https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-768/21&language=en) · [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62021CJ0768)

### [C-807/21, Deutsche Wohnen SE v Staatsanwaltschaft Berlin](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/case/c-807-21)

Judgment of 5 December 2023 · ECLI:EU:C:2023:950

A company can be fined without first identifying a natural person who committed the breach, but only if it acted intentionally or negligently; for undertakings, the cap is based on the group's turnover under the competition-law notion of undertaking.

[CURIA](https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-807/21&language=en) · [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62021CJ0807)

### [C-645/19, Facebook Ireland Ltd and Others v Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/case/c-645-19)

Judgment of 15 June 2021 · ECLI:EU:C:2021:483

A non-lead supervisory authority may go to court over cross-border processing only in the situations where the GDPR gives it competence and while respecting the cooperation and consistency procedures; the defendant need not have an establishment in that State.

[CURIA](https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-645/19&language=en) · [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62019CJ0645)

### [C-311/18, Data Protection Commissioner v Facebook Ireland Limited and Maximillian Schrems](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/case/c-311-18)

Judgment of 16 July 2020 · ECLI:EU:C:2020:559

Transfers under standard contractual clauses require essentially equivalent protection, assessed case by case including access by foreign authorities; authorities must suspend or prohibit transfers that cannot be protected; the Commission's SCC decision stays valid; the EU-US Privacy Shield decision is invalid.

[CURIA](https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-311/18&language=en) · [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62018CJ0311)

### Related (earlier law or other instruments)

#### [C-362/14, Maximillian Schrems v Data Protection Commissioner](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/case/c-362-14)

Judgment of 6 October 2015 · ECLI:EU:C:2015:650

Instrument: Directive 95/46/EC (pre-GDPR; reasoning still applied under the GDPR)

Declared the Safe Harbour adequacy decision invalid; an adequacy decision does not stop data protection authorities examining complaints about transfers.

[CURIA](https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-362/14&language=en) · [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62014CJ0362)

## EDPB guidance

### [Guidelines 04/2026 on the application of the power to impose administrative fines in relation to other corrective powers under the GDPR](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/guidance/edpb-04-2026)

EDPB 04/2026 · Draft for consultation · First published 21 September 2026

Consultation open until 13 November 2026.

[Document on the EDPB website](https://www.edpb.europa.eu/documents/guideline/guidelines-042026-on-the-application-of-the-power-to-impose-administrative-0_en)

## Navigation

[GDPR Navigator](https://dposchool.com/gdpr) / [Chapter VI](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/chapter/6) / Article 58

Previous: [Art. 57 GDPR: Tasks](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/57)

Next: [Art. 59 GDPR: Activity reports](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/59)

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