Privacy in the EU Institutions

Answer to a notification for prior checking concerning "Youthlink 2" (Case 2008-484)

Opinion of 5 October 2009 on the notification for prior checking regarding the "use of reserve lists of suitable candidates for the recruitment of officials, temporary staff and contract staff" case (Case 2008-433)

The prior checking examination covers the processing of personal data by the Court of Auditors in the context of a procedure for the recruitment of successful candidates in competitions as well as other selection procedures. The procedure applies to successful candidates in EPSO competitions as well as in competitions or "screening" procedures organised by the Court itself.

It should be noted that the EDPS' examination is linked to that carried out for the case relating to the Court of Auditor's recruitment procedure (2008-313) in his opinion of 23 July 2009.

The recommendations by the EDPS endeavour to ensure that data subjects are clearly and comprehensively informed of their right of access to files concerning them, and to ensure a consistent data storage policy.

Opinion of 29 September 2009 on the notification for prior checking on the "Management of the Children's Centre (CPE) - day nursery and study centre: Loustic information system and medical files" (Luxembourg) (Case 2009-089)

The Commission's Office for Infrastructure and Logistics (OIL) is in charge of managing the CPE's day nursery and study centre in Luxembourg. In this context it has set up the manual and automatic processing of administrative data collected with a view to enrolment. It has also sub-contracted the Commission's medical service the management of the medical files of children for whom an application for enrolment has been made. As part of the prior check the EDPS has made the following recommendations: the EDPS recommends that (i) the medical data be transmitted only to persons subject to an obligation of secrecy equivalent to professional secrecy, (ii) access to the automated application by childcare staff and security staff be restricted to information they need to know, (iii) the data storage periods be reviewed according to the specific need for the data and files, (iv) data subjects' rights to obtain a copy of the administrative data concerning them without constraint, without delay and free of charge, and the right to have them rectified on simple request be guaranteed, (vi) parents be allowed to rectify data relating to their child's health upon presentation of medical evidence, and (vii) declarations of confidentiality informing the parents of the data processing be modified and communicated by all possible means in order to ensure that the parents are informed.

Opinion of 28 September 2009 on the notification for prior checking on the "selection of permanent and temporary staff at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union" (Case 2009-197)