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17 June 2013

Credible cyber security strategy in the EU needs to be built on privacy and trust. Please read the EDPS opinion and the press release.

13 June 2013

EDPS opinion on the notification for prior checking from the Data Protection Officer of the European Ombudsman on PERSEO

13 June 2013

EDPS formal comments on the Commission Delegated Regulations on "Data and procedures for the provision, where possible, of road safety related minimum universal traffic information free of charge to users" and "Provision of information services for safe and secure parking places for trucks and commercial vehicles"

10 June 2013

Statement: EDPS following the NSA story

05 June 2013

EDPS opinion on the notification for prior checking concerning leave management at European Environment Agency

News

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Eurodac

Council Regulation 2725/2000 of 11 December 2000 (pdf) establishes a system known as "Eurodac", i.e. a fingerprint database that assists the asylum procedure. It mainly helps to determine which Member State is competent for asylum applications (see Council Regulation 407/2002 (pdf) laying down certain rules to implement Regulation 2725/2000 concerning the establishment of "Eurodac" for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of the Dublin Convention).

The system consists of a central unit, a computerised central database for comparing the fingerprint data of asylum applicants, and means of data transmission between the Member States and the central database. The EDPS is responsible for supervision of the system in cooperation with the competent national data protection authorities.

► Read more on the supervision of Eurodac

When a participating country sends a set of prints to Eurodac, it knows immediately if they match up with others already on the database. If so, it can choose to send the individual back to the country where he or she first arrived or applied for asylum; the authorities there are responsible for making a decision about the candidate’s right to stay. If not, the country that submitted the prints handles the case.

► Read more on the Commission's Freedom, Security and Justice website

European Conference

The European Conference of data protection authorities of EU Member States and other European countries meets every year in spring. The Conference takes stock of important developments and usually adopts resolutions. The Conference set up the Working Party on Police and Justice, an advisory body on data protection in these areas.

► Read more on the European Conference

EDPS

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) is an independent supervisory authority established in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001, on the basis of Article 286 of the EC Treaty.

The EDPS' mission is to ensure that the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals - in particular their privacy - are respected when the EU institutions and bodies process personal data.

The EDPS is responsible for:

monitoring and ensuring that the provisions of Regulation 45/2001, as well as other Community acts on the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, are complied with when EC institutions and bodies process personal data (supervisory tasks);
advising the EC institutions and bodies on all matters relating to the processing of personal data. This includes consultation on proposals for legislation and monitoring new developments that have an impact on the protection of personal data (consultative tasks);
cooperating with national supervisory authorities and supervisory bodies in the "third pillar" of the EU with a view to improving consistency in the protection of personal data (cooperative tasks).

The EDPS also intervenes in cases before the Court of Justice of the European Communities.

E-privacy Directive 2009/136/EC

Directive 2009/136/EC which came into force in May 2011, concerns the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (pdf). It is usually referred to as the "E-privacy Directive" and is an amendment of Directive 2002/58/EC.

The E-privacy Directive covers processing of personal data and the protection of privacy including provisions on:

the security of networks and services;
the confidentiality of communications;
access to stored data;
processing of traffic and location data;
calling line identification;
public subscriber directories; and
unsolicited commercial communications ("spam").

The main changes to the 2002 Directive include a rule requiring the notification of data breaches (for instance someone whose personal data are lost, modified or accessed unlawfully while being treated by its electronic communications provider should be notified if this breach is likely to affect him/her negatively) and an extension of the Directive to also cover various electronic tags, strengthened enforcement rules, etc.