A conference on the Future of the EU legal framework for data protection takes place in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

European Data Protection Supervisor (acronyme)

conference

protection of personal data (T)

HUSTINX, Peter (NL)

Future of the EU legal framework for data protection: extracts from the conference

SOUNDBITE (English), Peter HUSTINX, European Data Protection Supervisor, Data protection is not an abstract thing. It relates to everybody's life, every moment of every day. It concerns our family, our work, our preferences, our lifestyle, our security, our health and so all. It concerns usual directly! 

SOUNDBITE (English), Peter HUSTINX, European Data Protection Supervisor, We must be aware of how information relating to us is used or abused and we must be able to exercise our rights over it. A strong data protection supports and underpins other issues, such as our European economy, our security, and the accountability of Governments. Data protection fosters trust, and trust is an essential component of economic development as well as of effective government.

SOUNDBITE (English), Peter HUSTINX, European Data Protection Supervisor, In our digital economy, technology develops quickly. Internet has developed due to the tremendous new possibilities of technology. In that development traditional legislative played a limited role, but that does not mean that the internet is an area where rights and obligations of citizens should not be valid. We strongly believe that protection of the citizens on the internet can not be left to the market alone. Data protection is a fundamental right - as clearly stated in the EU Charter - and governments are accountable for ensuring effective protection of this fundamental right.

SOUNDBITE (English), Peter HUSTINX, European Data Protection Supervisor, The reform of the legal framework is very important, it is very timely, it is very relevant. The focus should be on providing more effective protection in a European information society of 2015 and beyond, and the Commission should be truly ambitious to come up with adequate proposals by mid next year.

SOUNDBITE (English), Giovanni BUTTARELLI, Assistant Supervisor, On complaints. Both their number and complexity are increasing. 111 complaints were received, out of which two thirds were inadmissible as involving issues at the national level. 42 admissible complaints covered interesting issues such as alleged violations of confidentiality, excessive collection of data or illegal use of data by the controller, access to personal data, right of rectification, and erasure of data. And we concluded that data protection rules had been breached in eight cases.