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RGPD

Article 99

Entry into force and application

1.   This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

2.   It shall apply from 25 May 2018.

 

 

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 27 April 2016.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Since when does the GDPR apply?
Article 99(2) states that the Regulation applies from 25 May 2018. That is the date from which its rules had to be followed. The text itself was signed earlier, in Brussels on 27 April 2016.
What is the difference between entry into force and application under Article 99?

They are two separate dates. Under Article 99(1) the Regulation entered into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, while under Article 99(2) it applies from 25 May 2018.

Entry into force made the Regulation formally part of EU law; application is the later point from which its rules actually took effect. The gap between the two dates worked as a transition period.

Did Member States have to adopt national laws for the GDPR to apply?
No national act was needed for it to take effect. Article 99 closes with the formula that the Regulation is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. That wording means it applies as written across the EU from the application date.
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