Antas da Cunha Ecija Joins the Europrivacy™/® Official Partner Network

This recognition authorises Antas da Cunha Ecija to deliver Europrivacy implementation services, supporting organisations throughout the preparation, documentation and certification process before an independent and accredited certification body.

With this appointment, ECIJA strengthens its presence in the Europrivacy official partner network across the Iberian Peninsula - ECIJA Barcelona already serves as a Global Official Partner - and now directly covers the Portuguese market, with the capacity to advise clients on both domestic and cross-border projects.

What Is Europrivacy?

Europrivacy is a certification scheme that enables data controllers and processors to assess and demonstrate, independently and verifiably, the compliance of specific personal data processing activities with the principles and requirements of the GDPR.

Developed under the European Horizon 2020 research programme, Europrivacy is managed by the ECCP in Luxembourg and maintained by an international board of data protection experts. Europrivacy certificates are recognised across all EU and European Economic Area (EEA) Member States.

Certification is referenced 73 times in the GDPR - more than any other compliance mechanism - and produces concrete legal effects, notably regarding the demonstration of compliance with data protection by design, obligations of controllers and processors, and security requirements.

The scheme is aligned with international standards and complements management system certifications such as ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701.

2026 Update: Certification as a Mechanism for International Data Transfers

In April 2026, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) adopted two opinions that represent a landmark in the evolution of Europrivacy:

• the extension of Europrivacy’s scope to controllers and processors established outside the EEA that are subject to the GDPR under Article 3(2);
• the approval of a specific version of the Europrivacy certification criteria that may be used as a mechanism providing appropriate safeguards for international data transfers under Article 46(2)(f) GDPR.

This is the first certification scheme to be approved for this purpose, adding a new tool alongside Standard Contractual Clauses and Binding Corporate Rules.

Why Obtain Europrivacy Certification?

At a time when organisations are increasingly expected to demonstrate the effectiveness of their data protection programmes, Europrivacy certification offers a robust and multidimensional methodology for validating compliance. Key advantages include:

• Compliance demonstration - objective and verifiable proof of GDPR compliance, based on an assessment by an independent certification body;
• Risk reduction - identification and mitigation of legal, financial, operational and reputational risks through structured criteria;
• Trust and reputation - strengthened confidence among clients, employees, business partners, investors and other stakeholders;
• Mitigating factor in enforcement proceedings - under Article 83(2) GDPR, adherence to certification mechanisms is duly considered when determining fines;
• Competitive advantage and operational efficiency - streamlined due diligence, procurement and supply chain management processes;
• Interoperability with other frameworks - complementarity with management systems such as ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27701;
• Coverage of emerging technologies - applicable to processing activities involving artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and blockchain.

What Activities Can Be Certified?

Europrivacy does not certify the organisation in the abstract - it certifies specific personal data processing activities: a digital service, a platform, an HR process or any other operation involving personal data.

Each organisation may select the processing activities it wishes to submit for assessment, starting with the most relevant, strategic or sensitive, and progressively extend certification to other operations. The scheme applies to entities of any size and sector - private or public, controllers or processors - including organisations with operations across multiple jurisdictions.

How Can We Help?

As an official Europrivacy partner, Antas da Cunha Ecija has qualified professionals in the certification scheme and provides legal and strategic support throughout the various stages of preparation, including:

• identification and selection of priority processing activities for certification;
• scoping and development of a certification plan;
• initial compliance assessment (gap analysis) and identification of gaps;
• review and preparation of required documentation, including measures to address non-conformities;
• support during the certification process before the independent certification body;
• internal audits and preparation for surveillance audits;
• planning the progressive extension of certification to additional processing activities.

The final certification is issued by an independent and accredited certification body - Antas da Cunha Ecija’s role is to support the organisation in preparing and implementing the necessary requirements.

Joining the Europrivacy official partner network reinforces Antas da Cunha Ecija’s commitment to data protection, innovation and the development of solutions that enable organisations to turn regulatory compliance into a driver of trust and value.

Find further information at the following page: www.europrivacy.com, or contact us to europrivacy.portugal@adcecija.pt

Europrivacy™/® is an international trademark and registered in multiple jurisdictions worldwide.