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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 10773
Contents Publication in full By article 15 / 36
SECTORAL POLICIES / (ae) jha

Sixth European data protection day

Brussels, 28/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the EU celebrated the sixth European Data Detection Day (2013) against a background of a thorough going review of its rules. This project was set up a year ago, on 25 January 2012, by the European Commissioner responsible for fundamental rights, Viviane Reding. One of her objectives is to ensure that the big hitters on the internet, such as Google and Facebook, are more attentive to issues, such as the private life of their users and their wishes concerning the processing of their data. At the time, the Commissioner submitted a regulation and provisions on the right to forget, clear consent and further sanctions, as well as a draft directive on police and criminal matters. At the same time as the directive, work on the regulation continued to make regular progress and justice ministers included the dossier on the agenda in Dublin on 18 January last. They examined “domestic” exemptions to European rules, the practical modalities involved in the right to forget, as well as ways of administering sanctions. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, are particularly in favour of giving warnings, with a certain leeway being given to their national authorities when it comes to introducing these penalties. On Monday, in a press release, the Belgian Socialist MEP, Marc Tarabella, and member of the EP's consumer protection committee, declared at the European Data Protection Day that “every internet user has the right to know who stores and processes the different data, when this is done, for what purpose and for how long. Whether you are Google, Facebook or Sony, no one can be above the law. This is a matter of individual rights”. Nonetheless, the committee responsible for this issue is the civil liberties committee, which is planning to adopt its position at the end of April, following negotiations with the Council. (SP/transl.fl)

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