Article 15b

Obligation to make data available for exceptional needs other than public emergencies

1.A public sector body, the Commission, the European Central Bank, or a Union body may request non-personal data from a data holder where the requested data are strictly necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and where the objective cannot reasonably be achieved by other means under equivalent conditions.

2.Requests under paragraph 1 shall be limited to clearly defined public-interest purposes laid down in Union or Member State law, including public health, environmental protection, market surveillance, consumer protection, fundamental rights protection, public-interest research, and the production of official statistics.

3.Requests under this Article shall be specific, necessary, proportionate, time-limited, and limited to the minimum data necessary for the stated purpose.

4.Data made available under this Article shall be subject to purpose limitation, data minimisation, security, deletion or return obligations, transparency, and independent oversight.

6.Each request and its legal basis, purpose, data categories, recipient, and duration shall be recorded in a public register, except where publication would seriously undermine the purpose of the request. In such cases, delayed publication shall be required.