Article 15 — Verification procedure related to infringements of rules on the protection of personal data

1. No European political party or European political foundation shall deliberately influence, or attempt to influence, the outcome of elections to the European Parliament by taking advantage of an infringement by a natural or legal person of the applicable rules on the protection of personal data. 2. If the Authority is informed of a decision of a national supervisory authority within the meaning of Article 4, point (21), of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 finding that a natural or legal person has infringed applicable rules on the protection of personal data, and if it follows from that decision, or if there are otherwise reasonable grounds to believe, that the infringement is linked to political activities by a European political party or a European political foundation in the context of elections to the European Parliament, the Authority shall refer this matter to the committee of independent eminent persons referred to in Article 16 of this Regulation. The Authority may, if necessary, liaise with the national supervisory authority concerned. 3. The committee referred to in paragraph 2 shall give an opinion as to whether the European political party or European political foundation concerned has deliberately influenced or attempted to influence the outcome of elections to the European Parliament by taking advantage of that infringement. The Authority shall request the opinion without undue delay, and no later than one month after being informed of the decision of the national supervisory authority. The Authority shall set a short, reasonable deadline for the committee to give its opinion. The committee shall comply with that deadline. 4. Having regard to the committee’s opinion, the Authority shall decide, pursuant to Article 32(1), point (a)(ix), whether to impose financial sanctions on the European political party or European political foundation concerned. The decision of the Authority shall be duly reasoned, in particular with regard to the committee’s opinion, and shall be published expeditiously. 5. The procedure set out in this Article is without prejudice to the procedure set out in Articles 12, 13 and 14. The prohibition on the submission of verification request pursuant to Article 13(1) to (4) during the two-month period immediately before elections to the European Parliament laid down in Article 13(5) shall not apply to the procedure set out in this Article.