Brussels, 07/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - European police forces will continue to have access to the personal data of internet users and users of landline and mobile phones in the EU. “Retention of data is here to stay, and for good reasons”, Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said at a conference in Brussels on Friday of last week. The European Commission has, however, just undertaken a review of the data retention directive. In order to tackle organised crime and terrorism, since 2006, the EU has required telecommunications companies to store certain telecommunication information (duration of calls, location, numbers called, etc) for periods of between six months and two years. The legislation has been criticised by numerous associations which complain of infringement of privacy. “Access to telecommunications data are, at least in some cases, the only way of detecting and prosecuting serious crime”, Malmström said. “We do need data retention as an instrument to maintain security in our member states”, she argued. (B.C./transl.rt)