25 May 2018 marks the date of the direct applicability of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), two years after its adoption and entry into force. The GDPR will bring about a significant change in the data protection landscape of the EU, since it replaces the 20-year-old “Data Protection Directive” 95/46/EC. In view of this event, the Commission published a Communication on 24 January 2018 (COM(2018) 43 final): a guidance paper taking stock of the preparatory work done so far and an outlook on further useful steps to ensure that all elements for a successful entry into effect of the new Union framework are in place.

Against this background, the Communication includes the following elements:

• Recapping the main innovations and opportunities opened up by the new EU data protection legislation;
• Stocktaking of the preparatory work so far at the EU level;
• Outlining what the European Commission, national data protection authorities, and national administrations still need to do to bring the preparation to successful completion;
• Setting out measures that the Commission intends to take in the coming months.

In addition to the guidelines, the Commission also launched an online toolkit, available in all EU languages and containing FAQs, practical examples, and web-links offering clearer and more practical guidance on the adoption of the new rules. It is mainly directed at citizens and businesses to help them better understand the GDPR.