One of the main differences between a Regulation and a Directive in the EU law is that a Regulation

is directly applicable and binding in all EU member states, without the need for national

implementing measures, while a Directive sets out the objectives and principles that the member

states must achieve, but leaves them the choice of form and methods to transpose it into their

national laws. Therefore, by taking the form of a Regulation, the GDPR aims to harmonize and unify

the data protection rules across the EU, and to ensure a consistent implementation and enforcement

of the data protection laws throughout the EU. The other aspects of the GDPR listed in the question,

such as the one-stop shop mechanism, the mandatory notification of large-scale data breaches, and

the mandatory appointment of a data protection officer, are also important features of the GDPR, but

they do not have the same impact on the consistency of the data protection laws as the form of a

Regulation.

Reference: Difference between A Regulation And Directive (European Law)1; EUR-Lex - 310401_2 -

EN - EUR-Lex2; EU GDPR vs. European Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC - Advisera3; Difference

between GDPR and Data Protection Directive - Profolus