Information and Data Protection Commissioner 
welcomes publication of the European Data Protection Board’s report on the Right to Erasure

18 February 2026

The Information and Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC) welcomes the publication of the European Data Protection Board’s (EDPB) report on the right to erasure, the fourth edition of the Coordinated Enforcement Action (CEF) coordinated by the EDPB to streamline enforcement and cooperation amongst supervisory authorities, as its main objective. The report highlights actions taken throughout 2025 involving 32 supervisory authorities (including Malta) and a total of 764 controllers across Europe. In its findings it summarises the outcome of a series of coordinated national actions and investigations carried out in 2025. The results indicate a number of main implementation problems or challenges that were observed in respect of some controllers thus hindering the full implementation of the right to erasure. This leads the overall level of compliance to be identified as “average”. 

However, a number of best practices have also been identified. In this context this report is presented with a series of recommendations to effectively implement the right to erasure. The report includes an annex with the national reports of all the supervisory authorities that took part in the CEF, including IDPC. 

In this context, concurrently with the other 31 supervisory authorities, the IDPC launched an exercise whereby it sent out questionnaires to 100 data controllers across the private sector within the gaming, insurance, health, finance and banking sectors established in Malta as a fact-finding exercise. This was particularly sent out with the aim of analysing how data controllers handle and respond to requests for erasure they receive and how the conditions and exceptions for the exercise of this right are applied. Its overall assessment is encouraging particularly to some best practices observed. The responses received were used to draft the national report now included in the annex attached to the EDPB report. 

The positive references the EDPB report makes to enforcement actions taken by the IDPC are very much welcomed. The same applies to the positive references given to guidance also issued by the IDPC on the right to erasure, particularly a fact sheet available on its website (Your Rights - IDPC) containing a description of data subject rights, including the right to erasure, together with the means and requirements for exercising such rights. 

The right to erasure is considered as one of the most frequently exercised GDPR rights and ultimately one about which Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) frequently receive queries or complaints from affected data subjects. 

As a way forward the IDPC will strive to participate actively in the EDPB’s series of coordinated enforcement actions. In 2026, the CEF will focus on the ‘Compliance with the Obligations of Transparency and Information under the GDPR’ - articles 12, 13 and 14.  

 The full report is available here