{"release":{"id":"a4f2a0495fe55b47323883f82977a9b34ab66171ec9623e39925d3a7045b6c81","published":"2026-11-01T16:41:30Z","pinned":false},"limits":{"coverage":{"history":"full","held_since":"2016-05-04","gaps":[],"covered":["GDPR L1"],"not_covered":["national guidance","court decisions"]},"freshness":{"release_id":"a4f2a0495fe55b47323883f82977a9b34ab66171ec9623e39925d3a7045b6c81","release_published":"2026-11-01T16:41:30Z","checked_at":"2026-10-26","checked_against":"EUR-Lex"},"truncation":null,"failures":[],"incomplete":[]},"page":{"path":"/gdpr/articles/81","url":"https://www.headlesslaw.com/gdpr/articles/81","title":"Article 81 — Suspension of proceedings","family":"l1_generated","work_id":"gdpr","status":"in_force","force_status":"in_force","date_state":"current","requested_date":null,"as_of":"2026-11-02","applies_from":"2018-05-25","application":{"state":"applicable","next":null,"dates":[{"at":"2018-05-25","note":"Article 99(2)"}]},"version_label":"Consolidated version of 4 May 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of proceedings","text":"","marks":[],"revision":1,"text_hash":"e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855","reason":null},{"locator":"gdpr/art/81/para/1","kind":"paragraph","status":"in_force","label":"1.","heading":null,"text":"Where a competent court of a Member State has information on proceedings, concerning the same subject matter as regards processing by the same controller or processor, that are pending in a court in another Member State, it shall contact that court in the other Member State to confirm the existence of such proceedings.","marks":[],"revision":1,"text_hash":"f2bbd14d666f8bd74261486e8b1925070e43db38429aa2fe01360ffdfefcd63f","reason":null},{"locator":"gdpr/art/81/para/2","kind":"paragraph","status":"in_force","label":"2.","heading":null,"text":"Where proceedings concerning the same subject matter as regards processing of the same controller or processor are pending in a court in another Member State, any competent court other than the court first seized may suspend its proceedings.","marks":[],"revision":1,"text_hash":"905af377137840c6d92eff525ce1bb52b533fd7dae889f75d457db5ab9026612","reason":null},{"locator":"gdpr/art/81/para/3","kind":"paragraph","status":"in_force","label":"3.","heading":null,"text":"Where those proceedings are pending at first instance, any court other than the court first seized may also, on the application of one of the parties, decline jurisdiction if the court first seized has jurisdiction over the actions in question and its law permits the consolidation thereof.","marks":[],"revision":1,"text_hash":"139647e998acc80ddac34b4aa87894170eec63d2d3cf9cefffd33fb4a396f246","reason":null}],"markdown":"---\ntitle: \"Article 81 — Suspension of proceedings\"\ntype: regulation\nlegal_status: in_force\nsource: \"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02016R0679-20160504\"\nsource_retrieved: 2026-09-28\nshortTitle: \"Article 81 — Suspension of proceedings\"\ninstrument_type: level1_regulation\nauthority: Commission\nbinding: true\nbinding_character: binding\nmica_level2: false\nlegal_basis: \"Regulation (EU) 2016/679\"\ninstrument: gdpr\ncelex: \"32016R0679\"\nregulation: GDPR\nregulation-full: \"Regulation (EU) 2016/679\"\narticle: 81\nstatus: in_force\nobject_id: eu.gdpr.legal_text.article.81\ntext_version: \"Consolidated version of 4 May 2016\"\nsource_url: \"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02016R0679-20160504\"\ncheck_status: matched\nverified: true\nlast_checked: 2026-10-26\n---\n\n*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)*\n\n1. <a id=\"p-1\"></a>Where a competent court of a Member State has information on proceedings, concerning the same subject matter as regards [processing](https://www.headlesslaw.com/definitions/gdpr/processing) by the same [controller](https://www.headlesslaw.com/definitions/gdpr/controller) or [processor](https://www.headlesslaw.com/definitions/gdpr/processor), that are pending in a court in another Member State, it shall contact that court in the other Member State to confirm the existence of such proceedings.\n2. <a id=\"p-2\"></a>Where proceedings concerning the same subject matter as regards processing of the same controller or processor are pending in a court in another Member State, any competent court other than the court first seized may suspend its proceedings.\n3. <a id=\"p-3\"></a>Where those proceedings are pending at first instance, any court other than the court first seized may also, on the application of one of the parties, decline jurisdiction if the court first seized has jurisdiction over the actions in question and its law permits the consolidation thereof.\n\n***\n\n[Chapter VIII — Remedies, liability and penalties](../chapters/viii.md) · [← Article 80](80.md) · [Article 82 →](82.md)\n"}