--- title: "Art. 61 GDPR: Mutual assistance" canonical: "https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/61" source: "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679#art_61" 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. 61 GDPR · Chapter VII: Cooperation and consistency · Section 1: Cooperation # Article 61 GDPR: Mutual assistance Text as of 28 October 2026 · [Reviewed by Sergio Maldonado Elvira on 29 October 2026](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/about#review) ## Official text ### Article 61(1) **1.** Supervisory authorities shall provide each other with relevant information and mutual assistance in order to implement and apply this Regulation in a consistent manner, and shall put in place measures for effective cooperation with one another. Mutual assistance shall cover, in particular, information requests and supervisory measures, such as requests to carry out prior authorisations and consultations, inspections and investigations. ### Article 61(2) **2.** Each supervisory authority shall take all appropriate measures required to reply to a request of another supervisory authority without undue delay and no later than one month after receiving the request. Such measures may include, in particular, the transmission of relevant information on the conduct of an investigation. ### Article 61(3) **3.** Requests for assistance shall contain all the necessary information, including the purpose of and reasons for the request. Information exchanged shall be used only for the purpose for which it was requested. ### Article 61(4) **4.** The requested supervisory authority shall not refuse to comply with the request unless: #### Article 61(4)(a) **(a)** it is not competent for the subject-matter of the request or for the measures it is requested to execute; or #### Article 61(4)(b) **(b)** compliance with the request would infringe this Regulation or Union or Member State law to which the supervisory authority receiving the request is subject. ### Article 61(5) **5.** The requested supervisory authority shall inform the requesting supervisory authority of the results or, as the case may be, of the progress of the measures taken in order to respond to the request. The requested supervisory authority shall provide reasons for any refusal to comply with a request pursuant to paragraph 4. ### Article 61(6) **6.** Requested supervisory authorities shall, as a rule, supply the information requested by other supervisory authorities by electronic means, using a standardised format. ### Article 61(7) **7.** Requested supervisory authorities shall not charge a fee for any action taken by them pursuant to a request for mutual assistance. Supervisory authorities may agree on rules to indemnify each other for specific expenditure arising from the provision of mutual assistance in exceptional circumstances. ### Article 61(8) **8.** Where a supervisory authority does not provide the information referred to in paragraph 5 of this Article within one month of receiving the request of another supervisory authority, the requesting supervisory authority may adopt a provisional measure on the territory of its Member State in accordance with Article 55(1). In that case, the urgent need to act under Article 66(1) shall be presumed to be met and require an urgent binding decision from the Board pursuant to Article 66(2). ### Article 61(9) **9.** The Commission may, by means of implementing acts, specify the format and procedures for mutual assistance referred to in this Article and the arrangements for the exchange of information by electronic means between supervisory authorities, and between supervisory authorities and the Board, in particular the standardised format referred to in paragraph 6 of this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 93(2). ## 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 61 on EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679#art_61) Text as of 28 October 2026. This is reference material, not legal advice. ## Related recitals This list is under review. - [Recital 133](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/recital/133) ## Court of Justice judgments ### [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) ## Navigation [GDPR Navigator](https://dposchool.com/gdpr) / [Chapter VII](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/chapter/7) / Article 61 Previous: [Art. 60 GDPR: Cooperation between the lead supervisory authority and the other supervisory authorities concerned](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/60) Next: [Art. 62 GDPR: Joint operations of supervisory authorities](https://dposchool.com/gdpr/article/62) Studying the GDPR? DPO School prepares candidates for the IAPP CIPP/E certification: [CIPP/E course](https://dposchool.com/courses/cipp-e). 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