EDPB consults on new ready-to-use GDPR compliance templates

The question

How is the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) seeking to support organisations with GDPR compliance, and what is the purpose of its new consultation on ready-to-use templates?

The key takeaway

The EDPB has launched a public consultation on a set of draft, ready-to-use templates intended to help organisations implement key GDPR obligations more easily and consistently. The initiative is designed to reduce complexity - particularly for smaller organisations - and promote standardised, practical approaches to core compliance activities.

The background

The GDPR requires organisations to document and demonstrate compliance across a wide range of operational, legal and governance processes. For many, particularly SMEs or organisations with limited in-house expertise, translating these requirements into workable documentation can be challenging.

The EDPB has previously issued substantial guidance to support controllers and processors. Its latest initiative builds on this work by proposing template documentation for several foundational GDPR tasks. This sits alongside efforts by individual supervisory authorities (across the EEA and the UK) to produce their own standardised compliance tools.

The development

On 5 November 2025, the EDPB opened a consultation on a suite of practical templates designed to streamline GDPR compliance. These include draft templates for:

• records of processing activities (ROPAs);
• data protection impact assessments (DPIAs);
• data breach response and notification procedures.

The consultation invites feedback on whether the templates are clear, usable and aligned with the operational realities of compliance. Responses closed on 3 December 2025. The EDPB will now assess submissions and consider amendments before publishing the final templates.

Why is this important?

The templates are intended to ease the administrative burden of GDPR compliance - an objective reinforced by the Helsinki Statement (July 2025), which called for simpler, more accessible compliance tools for micro, small and medium-sized organisations.

If adopted, the templates could help organisations:

• reduce uncertainty about what compliant documentation should look like;
• adopt consistent, risk-based approaches across operational areas;
• avoid omissions in core processes such as DPIAs or incident response; and
• demonstrate accountability more effectively in the event of regulatory scrutiny.

The initiative also reflects a broader push by EU regulators to improve practical compliance outcomes while maintaining strong protection for individuals’ data rights.

Any practical tips?

Organisations should consider:

• reviewing the draft templates published on the EDPB website and assessing how they align with existing GDPR documentation;
• assessing the EDPB's feedback, particularly on sector-specific processes or risks;
• monitoring updates after the consultation and evaluating whether to incorporate the finalised templates into internal compliance toolkits - either to replace or supplement existing records.

Winter 2025