# GDPR Article 27 — Representatives of controllers or processors not established in the Union

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-27-representatives-of-controllers-or-processors-not-established-in-the-union
- Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr) › Articles 21–30
- Last updated: 2026-06-05
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

**GDPR**·Article `Article 27`·low·Component: **Chapter IV: Controller and Processor**

## What this control requires

> Non-EU controllers or processors under Article 3(2) must appoint a written-designated representative in an EU Member State where data subjects reside, to address GDPR compliance issues with authorities and data subjects, unless processing is occasional, low-risk, and excludes large-scale special category or criminal data. This control addresses Representatives.
> 
> — GDPR, Article Article 27

### In plain English

Non-EU controllers or processors under Article 3(2) must appoint a written-designated representative in an EU Member State where data subjects reside, to address GDPR compliance issues with authorities and data subjects, unless processing is occasional, low-risk, and excludes large-scale special category or criminal data. In practice, this means you can prove you data controller-level controls on a defined cadence.

## Why it matters

GDPR administrative fines reach the greater of €20 million or 4% of global annual turnover. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) coordinates supervisory-authority enforcement across the EU/EEA, and DPAs publish enforcement decisions citing specific Articles.

## What an auditor looks for

A DPA or privacy auditor expects: a Records of Processing Activities (RoPA) entry, a documented lawful basis, evidence the Article's data-subject right is operationalised end-to-end, a named DPO contact (where required), and Article 30 records that match what the front-end actually does.

Within **Chapter IV: Controller and Processor**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Article Article 27) and look for objective evidence on the latest two assessment cycles.

## How to implement

#### Policy Management

**Docs.** Keep each policy in version-controlled Markdown alongside the code that implements it; ship a signed PDF snapshot at each annual review and link the SHA into the SoA.

### Operational checklist

-   **Data.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Representatives.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Processor.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence.
-   **Scope:** controller, controllers, article, data subjects.

## Evidence to collect

-   **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document.

Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Representatives of controllers or processors not established in the Union.

## Common pitfalls

-   Policies that no engineer has read; the version in Confluence drifts from the version that's actually being enforced.

## Related controls in GDPR

-   [**Article Article 82** — Right to compensation and liability](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-82-right-to-compensation-and-liability)
-   [**Article Article 28** — Processor](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-28-processor)
-   [**Article Article 31** — Cooperation with the supervisory authority](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-31-cooperation-with-the-supervisory-authority)
-   [**Article Article 33** — Notification of a personal data breach to the supervisory authority](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-33-notification-of-a-personal-data-breach-to-the-supervisory-authority)
-   [**Article Article 34** — Communication of a personal data breach to the data subject](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-34-communication-of-a-personal-data-breach-to-the-data-subject)
-   [**Article Article 35** — Data protection impact assessment](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-35-data-protection-impact-assessment)

## References

-   [European Union — GDPR](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj)
-   Catalogue identifier: `Article Article 27`

Topics: governance riskpolicy management

## Related compliance guidance

- [GDPR compliance: a practical implementation guide for cloud-native SaaS teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr): Start with the full GDPR implementation guide — scope, roadmap, evidence and how the assessment runs.
- [ISO/IEC 27001:2022 compliance: a practical implementation guide](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022): The security management system most EU procurement teams ask for alongside a DPA; its controls supply much of the Article 32 evidence.
- [India's DPDP Act 2023: a practical compliance guide for cloud teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/india-dpdp-act-2023): If engineering or support teams sit in India, the same data flows are also subject to India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act.