Brussels, 20/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - The expert group set up by the European Commission to give consideration to the review of the 1995 European directive on the protection of personal data has been dissolved by Justice, Liberty and Security Commissioner Jacques Barrot. In its place, two conferences have been announced. The group was recently called into question by Alex Türk, current chairman of the Article 29 group, for being too close to the interests of US firms (see EUROPE 9839). Before its disbandment, the expert group on directive 95/46 on data protection met once, at the start of December, and was due to have at least five further meetings in the course of 2009. The decision to disband the group was taken in mid-January and reference to it on the Commission website was removed on 2 February. “The expert group was not meant to be long-lasting. The work of the group has been useful in promoting discussion on the issues that are at the heart of a widened consultation process,” said a European source. The Commission intends, then, to carry out a series of wider consultations involving NGOs, consumer organisations, national data protection authorities and national administrations. Two conferences will take place this year, the first around the month of May and the second, to take place before the end of the year, will draw the conclusions from the first. (B.C./transl.rt)