Following their recent meeting in Finland, the EU Data Protection Authorities acting through the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) announced their intention to release new tools and ran EU-wide data breach notification template to help companies comply with the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
As part of this initiative, the EDPB plans to introduce an EU-wide template that can be used to report personal data breaches at the EU Member State level. However, they have not yet confirmed when they will release the new template.
Purpose and Benefits of a Common Personal Data Breach Notification Template
The EU Data Protection Authorities are in agreement that a common breach notification template will contribute to:
- Standardizing the format and content of breach notifications across EU Member States;
- Simplifying the reporting process for companies, especially those operating in multiple jurisdictions and conducting cross-border personal data processing activities;
- Enhancing consistency in how Data Protection Authorities receive and process breach notifications; and
- Supporting the development of a potential cross-regulatory European notification solution, potentially unifying reporting obligations with those under other EU digital laws.
By introducing a uniform breach notification template, the EDPB aims to streamline the notification process. This change will make it easier for companies to document personal data breaches, assess the risks to individuals’ rights, complete notification forms, and submit them to the appropriate authority.
Integration with Other EDPB Support Tools
The EDPB is also developing a suite of other compliance resources, which reportedly include:
- Templates for other GDPR-related documentation and compliance requirements;
- Practical tools such as checklists, how-to guides, and FAQs; and
- Updated working methods and complementary formats for guidance to ensure accessibility and usability.
It is expected that these tools will help organizations in achieving GDPR compliance with greater ease and efficiency.
What’s Next?
Alston & Bird’s Privacy, Cybersecurity and Data Strategy Team will continue to monitor developments on this issue. In the meantime, companies suffering personal data breaches in different EU Member States must still use, for now, the notification channels specified by each relevant Data Protection Authority. For more information on the EU common personal data breach notification template and reporting obligations, please sign up for alerts at AlstonPrivacy.com.
