--- title: "Article 51 — Supervisory authority" type: regulation legal_status: in_force source: "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02016R0679-20160504" source_retrieved: 2026-09-28 shortTitle: "Article 51 — Supervisory authority" instrument_type: level1_regulation authority: Commission binding: true binding_character: binding mica_level2: false legal_basis: "Regulation (EU) 2016/679" instrument: gdpr celex: "32016R0679" regulation: GDPR regulation-full: "Regulation (EU) 2016/679" article: 51 status: in_force object_id: eu.gdpr.legal_text.article.51 text_version: "Consolidated version of 4 May 2016" source_url: "https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02016R0679-20160504" check_status: matched verified: true last_checked: 2026-10-26 --- *In force · Consolidated version of 4 May 2016 · Checked against EUR-Lex on 26 Oct 2026 · [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02016R0679-20160504)* 1. Each Member State shall provide for one or more independent public authorities to be responsible for monitoring the application of this Regulation, in order to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons in relation to [processing](https://www.headlesslaw.com/definitions/gdpr/processing) and to facilitate the free flow of [personal data](https://www.headlesslaw.com/definitions/gdpr/personal-data) within the Union (‘[supervisory authority](https://www.headlesslaw.com/definitions/gdpr/supervisory-authority)’). 2. Each supervisory authority shall contribute to the consistent application of this Regulation throughout the Union. For that purpose, the supervisory authorities shall cooperate with each other and the Commission in accordance with Chapter VII. 3. Where more than one supervisory authority is established in a Member State, that Member State shall designate the supervisory authority which is to represent those authorities in the Board and shall set out the mechanism to ensure compliance by the other authorities with the rules relating to the consistency mechanism referred to in [Article 63](63.md). 4. Each Member State shall notify to the Commission the provisions of its law which it adopts pursuant to this Chapter, by 25 May 2018 and, without delay, any subsequent amendment affecting them. *** [Chapter VI — Independent supervisory authorities](../chapters/vi.md) · [← Article 50](50.md) · [Article 52 →](52.md)