Source: OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, pp. 1–88 · Consolidated text

Artikel 1 Gegenstand und Ziele

Summary What does Article 1 of the GDPR regulation say?

This is the foundational article of the regulation, establishing its dual purpose: protecting natural persons with regard to the processing of their personal data, while simultaneously ensuring that the free movement of personal data within the Union is not impeded.

It frames data protection not as a barrier to the flow of information, but as a framework within which that flow can operate.

The article also anchors the regulation firmly in the context of fundamental rights and freedoms, signalling that the right to data protection is to be treated as a core individual right rather than a purely technical or administrative concern.

Important points:

The regulation serves two parallel goals: protecting personal data and enabling its free movement across the Union.
The right to protection of personal data is framed as a fundamental right and freedom of natural persons.
The free movement of personal data within the Union cannot be restricted or prohibited on data protection grounds alone.

Springlex's summary of the article is a reading aid, not a substitute for the legal text.

1. Diese Verordnung enthält Vorschriften zum Schutz natürlicher Personen bei der Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten und zum freien Verkehr solcher Daten.
1. Diese Verordnung schützt die Grundrechte und Grundfreiheiten natürlicher Personen und insbesondere deren Recht auf Schutz personenbezogener Daten.
1. Der freie Verkehr personenbezogener Daten in der Union darf aus Gründen des Schutzes natürlicher Personen bei der Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten weder eingeschränkt noch verboten werden.

Table of contents

Springlex and this text is meant purely as a documentation tool and has no legal effect. No liability is assumed for its content. The authentic version of this act is the one published in the Official Journal of the European Union.