Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

CHAPTER VIII Remedies, liability and penalties

Article 52 Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

1. Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, Member States shall provide for every data subject to have the right to lodge a complaint with a single supervisory authority, if the data subject considers that the processing of personal data relating to him or her infringes provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive.

2. Member States shall provide for the supervisory authority with which the complaint has been lodged to transmit it to the competent supervisory authority, without undue delay if the complaint is not lodged with the supervisory authority that is competent pursuant to Article 45(1). The data subject shall be informed about the transmission.

3. Member States shall provide for the supervisory authority with which the complaint has been lodged to provide further assistance on request of the data subject.

4. The data subject shall be informed by the competent supervisory authority of the progress and the outcome of the complaint, including of the possibility of a judicial remedy pursuant to Article 53.

Article 53 Right to an effective judicial remedy against a supervisory authority

1. Without prejudice to any other administrative or non-judicial remedy, Member States shall provide for the right of a natural or legal person to an effective judicial remedy against a legally binding decision of a supervisory authority concerning them.

2. Without prejudice to any other administrative or non-judicial remedy, each data subject shall have the right to an effective judicial remedy where the supervisory authority which is competent pursuant to Article 45(1) does not handle a complaint or does not inform the data subject within three months of the progress or outcome of the complaint lodged pursuant to Article 52.

3. Member States shall provide for proceedings against a supervisory authority to be brought before the courts of the Member State where the supervisory authority is established.

Article 54 Right to an effective judicial remedy against a controller or processor

Without prejudice to any available administrative or non-judicial remedy, including the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority pursuant to Article 52, Member States shall provide for the right of a data subject to an effective judicial remedy where he or she considers that his or her rights laid down in provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive have been infringed as a result of the processing of his or her personal data in non-compliance with those provisions.

Article 55 Representation of data subjects

Member States shall, in accordance with Member State procedural law, provide for the data subject to have the right to mandate a not-for-profit body, organisation or association which has been properly constituted in accordance with Member State law, has statutory objectives which are in the public interest and is active in the field of protection of data subject's rights and freedoms with regard to the protection of their personal data to lodge the complaint on his or her behalf and to exercise the rights referred to in Articles 52, 53 and 54 on his or her behalf.

Article 56 Right to compensation

Member States shall provide for any person who has suffered material or non-material damage as a result of an unlawful processing operation or of any act infringing national provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive to have the right to receive compensation for the damage suffered from the controller or any other authority competent under Member State law.

Article 57 Penalties

Member States shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented. The penalties provided for shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.