Brussels, 28/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Council of Europe and the EU agency for fundamental rights (FRA) published, on Tuesday 28 January, a manual on EU data protection law, on the occasion of a European Day on this subject, it is stated in a press release. The practical guide explains the regime applying to data protection under EU law and in accordance with the Council of Europe's convention for the protection of persons with regard to the automated processing of data of a personal nature and other Council of Europe instruments. The manual is intended for non-specialist lawyers, judges, national administrations responsible for data protection, and any person who may be faced with legal questions in this field, the Council of Europe states.
Data Protection Day is celebrated on 28 January each year to mark the anniversary of the signing of the Council of Europe convention for the protection of computerised data processing of personal data, the so-called “Convention No108”. The convention is in force in 46 countries.
In a press release published on 27 January, European Fundamental Rights Commissioner Viviane Reding reiterated her wish for reform of the 1995 directive on personal data to become concrete this year. She also said, on 28 January, in a speech before the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), that she expected the United States would, at the legislative level, remedy the failings observed in the so-called Safe Harbour agreement by the summer. She restated her request to the attorney general, Eric Holder, and the secretary of state for trade, Penny Pritzker. (SP/transl.jl)