L 119/28
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
4.5.2016
infringements and the upper limit and criteria for setting the related administrative fines, which should be
determined by the competent supervisory authority in each individual case, taking into account all relevant
circumstances of the specific situation, with due regard in particular to the nature, gravity and duration of the
infringement and of its consequences and the measures taken to ensure compliance with the obligations under
this Regulation and to prevent or mitigate the consequences of the infringement. Where administrative fines are
imposed on an undertaking, an undertaking should be understood to be an undertaking in accordance with
Articles 101 and 102 TFEU for those purposes. Where administrative fines are imposed on persons that are not
an undertaking, the supervisory authority should take account of the general level of income in the Member State
as well as the economic situation of the person in considering the appropriate amount of the fine. The
consistency mechanism may also be used to promote a consistent application of administrative fines. It should be
for the Member States to determine whether and to which extent public authorities should be subject to adminis
trative fines. Imposing an administrative fine or giving a warning does not affect the application of other powers
of the supervisory authorities or of other penalties under this Regulation.
(151) The legal systems of Denmark and Estonia do not allow for administrative fines as set out in this Regulation. The
rules on administrative fines may be applied in such a manner that in Denmark the fine is imposed by competent
national courts as a criminal penalty and in Estonia the fine is imposed by the supervisory authority in the
framework of a misdemeanour procedure, provided that such an application of the rules in those Member States
has an equivalent effect to administrative fines imposed by supervisory authorities. Therefore the competent
national courts should take into account the recommendation by the supervisory authority initiating the fine. In
any event, the fines imposed should be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
(152) Where this Regulation does not harmonise administrative penalties or where necessary in other cases, for
example in cases of serious infringements of this Regulation, Member States should implement a system which
provides for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties. The nature of such penalties, criminal or adminis
trative, should be determined by Member State law.
(153) Member States law should reconcile the rules governing freedom of expression and information, including
journalistic, academic, artistic and or literary expression with the right to the protection of personal data
pursuant to this Regulation. The processing of personal data solely for journalistic purposes, or for the purposes
of academic, artistic or literary expression should be subject to derogations or exemptions from certain
provisions of this Regulation if necessary to reconcile the right to the protection of personal data with the right
to freedom of expression and information, as enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter. This should apply in
particular to the processing of personal data in the audiovisual field and in news archives and press libraries.
Therefore, Member States should adopt legislative measures which lay down the exemptions and derogations
necessary for the purpose of balancing those fundamental rights. Member States should adopt such exemptions
and derogations on general principles, the rights of the data subject, the controller and the processor, the transfer
of personal data to third countries or international organisations, the independent supervisory authorities,
cooperation and consistency, and specific data-processing situations. Where such exemptions or derogations
differ from one Member State to another, the law of the Member State to which the controller is subject should
apply. In order to take account of the importance of the right to freedom of expression in every democratic
society, it is necessary to interpret notions relating to that freedom, such as journalism, broadly.
(154) This Regulation allows the principle of public access to official documents to be taken into account when
applying this Regulation. Public access to official documents may be considered to be in the public interest.
Personal data in documents held by a public authority or a public body should be able to be publicly disclosed
by that authority or body if the disclosure is provided for by Union or Member State law to which the public
authority or public body is subject. Such laws should reconcile public access to official documents and the reuse
of public sector information with the right to the protection of personal data and may therefore provide for the
necessary reconciliation with the right to the protection of personal data pursuant to this Regulation. The
reference to public authorities and bodies should in that context include all authorities or other bodies covered
by Member State law on public access to documents. Directive 2003/98/EC of the European Parliament and of
the Council (1) leaves intact and in no way affects the level of protection of natural persons with regard to the
(1) Directive 2003/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the re‑use of public sector information
(OJ L 345, 31.12.2003, p. 90).