The ODP has an advisory role at CERN. It provides expert guidance to help services implement data privacy obligations correctly and in line with CERN’s internal rules. However, the ODP does not have the authority to issue binding instructions or make decisions on behalf of a service.

Ultimately, each controlling service remains fully responsible and accountable for its own processing activities and for the decisions it takes in that context. While ODP recommendations are not mandatory, they reflect best practices and are intended to support compliant, efficient, and risk‑aware processing. Implementing them is therefore strongly encouraged to ensure alignment with CERN’s data privacy framework.