The European Union’s external competence in the data protection field

Is mixity the only way out?

Autori

  • Francesca Tassinari FPU Dpto. DIPu y RRII UGR

Abstract

The current paper sums up case-law and conventional rules underpinning the exercise of the European Union (EU)’s external (implied) competences applied to Article 16(2) of the Treaty on the functioning of the EU (TFEU). Article 16(2) TFEU empowers the EU to adopt rules on the protection of individuals whose personal data are processed and on the free movement of such data. The rules adopted on this legal basis could trigger the AETR/ERTA affectation criterion codified under Article 3(2) of the TFEU, turning an EU internal shared competence into an external exclusive one. Our analysis argues that, despite the Union’s data protection legislation in force, the EU is conferred an external (implied) shared/concurrent competence based on Article 16(2) TFEU. For this reason, negotiations to accede to the Council of Europe’s Convention 108+ were mixed.

Pubblicato

2023-09-19

Fascicolo

Sezione

ESTUDIOS