Article 15:
Composition
Each Member State shall take necessary measures to detefmine the
membership of the data protection Authority. This Authority must be composed of
qualified persons in the field of law, infonnation communication technology and
any other field of knowledge to achieve the objectJves defined in Article 2 of this
Supplementary Act
Article 16:
Incompatibility
Membership of the data protection Authority shall be incompatible with
membership of government, the exercise of business executives, and ownership
of shares in businesses in the infonnatlon or telecommunications sectors.
Article 17:
Immunity
1) Members of the data protection Authority shall enjoy full immunity in respect of
opinions expressed in the exercise of, or during the tenure of their function.
2) They shall receive no instructions from any Authority In discharging their
duties.
Article 18:
Professional Secrecy and Rules of Procedure
1) Members of the data protection Authority shall be subject to professional
secrecy, in line wnh texts in force in each Member State.
2) Each dala protection Authonty shall draft its rules of procedure, which shall
stipulate in particular, the rules governing deliberations, appraisal and
presentation of applications.
Article 19:
Responsibilities
1) The Data Protection Authority shall ensure that leTs do not constitute a threat
to public liberties and privacy. To this end, it shall:
,}
inform data subjects and data controllers of their rights and
obligations;
b}
respond to all requests for an opinion relating to processing of
personal data:
c}
Infonn data subjects and data controllers of theif rights and
obligations;
d}
authorize the processing of files in a certain number of cases, in
particular sensitive files;
,}
examine the prerequisite condrtlons for Implementing personal data
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