# GDPR Article 48 — Transfers or disclosures not authorised by Union law - Source: https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-48-transfers-or-disclosures-not-authorised-by-union-law - Section: [Compliance](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance) › [GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr) › Articles 41–50 - Last updated: 2026-06-05 - Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com) **GDPR**·Article `Article 48`·low·Component: **Chapter V: Transfers of Personal Data to Third Countries** ## What this control requires > Personal data transfers or disclosures to third countries based on foreign court or administrative decisions are only enforceable if supported by an international agreement, like a mutual legal assistance treaty, between the third country and the EU or a Member State. This control addresses International Data Transfers. > > — GDPR, Article Article 48 ### In plain English Personal data transfers or disclosures to third countries based on foreign court or administrative decisions are only enforceable if supported by an international agreement, like a mutual legal assistance treaty, between the third country and the EU or a Member State. In practice, this means you can prove you data transfers-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 V: Transfers of Personal Data to Third Countries**, the assessor will trace your implementation back to the catalogue reference (Article Article 48) 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. - **Transfers.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **International.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Mutual.** Document the trigger, the owner and the cadence. - **Scope:** transfers, assistance. ## Evidence to collect - **Policy Document.** A signed and version-controlled policy / standard / procedure document. Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Transfers or disclosures not authorised by Union law. ## Common pitfalls - Policies that no engineer has read; the version in Confluence drifts from the version that's actually being enforced. ## How it maps to other frameworks Computed from shared tags, control component and key-operation subjects — handy when you are reconciling controls across an audit. - [**SOC 2 (2017 TSC) P3.2** — Consent Management for Personal Information Collection](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/soc-2-trust-services-criteria/p3-2-consent-management-for-personal-information-collection) - [**ISO/IEC 27701:2025 A.1.3.2** — Comply with obligations](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27701-2025/a-1-3-2-comply-with-obligations) - [**India DPDP Act 2023 DS-005** — Consent Withdrawal Mechanism](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/india-dpdp-act-2023/ds-005-consent-withdrawal-mechanism) - [**CIS Controls v8 2.6** — Allowlist Authorized Libraries](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/cis-controls-v8/2-6-allowlist-authorized-libraries) - [**ISO/IEC 27001:2022 A.5.5** — Contact with authorities](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/iso-27001-2022/a-5-5-contact-with-authorities) ## Related controls in GDPR - [**Article Article 44** — General principle for transfers](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-44-general-principle-for-transfers) - [**Article Article 50** — International cooperation for the protection of personal data](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-50-international-cooperation-for-the-protection-of-personal-data) - [**Article Article 88** — Processing in the context of employment](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-88-processing-in-the-context-of-employment) - [**Article Article 2** — Material Scope](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-2-material-scope) - [**Article Article 6** — Lawfulness of processing](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-6-lawfulness-of-processing) - [**Article Article 7** — Conditions for consent](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/gdpr/article-7-conditions-for-consent) ## References - [European Union — GDPR](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj) - Catalogue identifier: `Article Article 48` Topics: governance riskpolicy managementprivacy 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.