Under the ordinary legislative procedure of the European Union, the European Commission holds the exclusive "right of initiative." This means it is the primary institution responsible for drafting and proposing new legislation, including regulations and directives in the field of data protection. The GDPR itself was initiated as a proposal from the Commission. While other institutions can request the Commission to act, the formal power to propose new laws on its own initiative is vested in the Commission, which acts as the EU's executive arm and guardian of the Treaties.

A. The European Council: This institution defines the EU's overall political direction and priorities but does not have the power to propose legislation.
B. The European Parliament: The Parliament can request the Commission to submit a proposal, but it does not possess the general right of legislative initiative itself. Its primary role is to amend and adopt laws.
D. The Council of the European Union: This body, representing member state governments, negotiates and adopts legislation alongside the Parliament, but it does not have the competence to propose it.

1. European Commission. (n.d.). What the European Commission does: Proposing new laws. Official website of the European Union. Retrieved from the European Commission's official site, which states: "The Commission is the sole EU institution tabling laws for adoption by the Parliament and the Council that: ... The European Commission has the 'right of initiative'."

2. European Parliament. (n.d.). Legislative powers: The ordinary legislative procedure. Official website of the European Parliament. Retrieved from the European Parliament's official site, which outlines the process: "The Commission submits a proposal to the Parliament and the Council. This is the first step in the ordinary legislative procedure."

3. Craig, P., & de Búrca, G. (2020). EU Law: Text, Cases, and Materials (7th ed.). Oxford University Press. In Chapter 3, "The Commission," the text extensively discusses the Commission's functions, stating, "The most important of the Commission's powers is its power of legislative initiative... the Treaties grant the Commission a virtual monopoly on legislative initiative" (p. 78).

4. Consolidated Version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). Article 294. This article details the ordinary legislative procedure, starting with "the Commission shall submit a proposal to the European Parliament and the Council." This is the legal basis for the Commission's role.