Brussels, 27/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is organising in Brussels, on 30 September and 1 October, a conference on data protection in the EU to be attended by business leaders, consumer associations, academics and data protection authorities from both the EU and from third countries. Frits Bolkestein, for the European Commission, Lene Espersen for the Council Presidency, Giacomo Santini for the European Parliament and Stefano Rodotà, Chair of the Working Group on Article 29 of the 1995 Directive on Data Protection (committee of Commissioners responsible for data protection in the Community), will take the floor. The conference marks the completion of open consultation launched by the Commission for preparing its next report on application of the above-mentioned directive. Themes tackled include the protection of personal data on the internet, the volume of requests addressed to companies for gaining access to personal data in their possession and the degree of effectiveness of the current rules relating to transfer of personal data towards third countries. (For more information on this conference: http: //europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/dataprot/lawreport/programme_en.htm).