Retention of personal data
Article 14
1. Personal data processed in IMI shall be blocked in IMI as soon as they are no longer necessary for the purpose for which they were collected, depending on the specificities of each type of administrative cooperation and, as a general rule, no later than six months after the formal closure of the administrative cooperation procedure. However, if a longer period is provided for in an applicable Union act listed in the Annex, personal data processed in IMI may be retained for a maximum of 18 months after the formal closure of an administrative cooperation procedure. 2. Where a repository of information for future reference by IMI actors is required pursuant to a binding Union act listed in the Annex, the personal data included in such a repository may be processed for as long as they are needed for this purpose either with the data subject’s consent or where this is provided for in that Union act. 3. Personal data blocked pursuant to this Article shall, with the exception of their storage, only be processed for purposes of proof of an information exchange by means of IMI with the data subject’s consent, unless processing is requested for overriding reasons in the public interest. 4. The blocked data shall be automatically deleted in IMI three years after the formal closure of the administrative cooperation procedure. 5. At the express request of a competent authority in a specific case and with the data subject’s consent, personal data may be deleted before the expiry of the applicable retention period. 6. The Commission shall ensure by technical means the blocking and deletion of personal data and their retrieval in accordance with paragraph 3. 7. Technical means shall be put in place to encourage IMI actors to formally close administrative cooperation procedures as soon as possible after the exchange of information has been completed and to enable IMI actors to involve IMI coordinators responsible in any procedure which has been inactive without justification for longer than two months.