EPA , primer Privacy Breakfast en el Parlamento Europeo
EPA organizó su primer Privacy Breakfast en el Parlamento Europeo el 20 de septiembre de 2011
Para más información, os adjuntamos a continuación la nota de prensa en inglés.
A Privacy Breakfast on the Revision of the Data Protection Directive
Analysing Rules on Applicable Law
On September 20th, EPA hosted the first of a series of the Privacy breakfast at the European Parliament in cooperation with the office of Mr. Alexander Alvaro MEP with the title “Analysing rules on applicable law”. The event was attended by representatives from the institutions, but also from the industry, consultancies and law firms. The heterogeneity of the participants contributed to the richness of the exchanges.
The Chair of EPA Karin Riis-Jørgensen welcomed the participants announcing the aim of the privacy breakfasts: facilitating a multidisciplinary dialogue between privacy experts and policy makers in order to create rules which foster innovation and, at the same time, protect users and their rights and freedom.
In his opening speech, Mr. Alvaro insisted on the importance of harmonization in order to achieve real borderless data protection and promoted the idea of European privacy seals/trustmarks for companies to prove their compliance and reassure consumers. He concluded arguing in favor of Regulation over Directive.
Dr. Paolo Balboni took a practical view on the current provisions on applicable law, underlying current issues and suggesting viable solutions. He was favorable to the proposed criteria of the main establishment/country of origin and critical with the one of the targeting of individuals. Moreover, he addressed the complexity of the roles of Data Controller and Data Processor arguing that, definitions aside, it is important to clarify parties’ duties and obligations and to be able to clearly allocate relevant liabilities.
The speakers then engaged with the participants in a vibrant debate on the need of clear and harmonized rules on data protection and consistent enforcement by Local Data Protection Authorities. The participants recognized the globalization of data protection issues and ways to address it. In this respect, the discussions also addressed in further details the implications of privacy seals/trustmarks based on minimum privacy standards shared at European and international level – also in the light of Action 17 of the Digital Agenda. Finally, the role of the EU Commission, EU Parliament, EU Council, EDPS and Article 29 Working Party in the revision of the European privacy legal framework was also discussed; hoping to be able to see soon the first draft of the Directive (or the Regulation).
The positive exchanges yesterday morning demonstrated the interest of many stakeholders on the current revision of the Data Protection Directive and prepared the field for the upcoming Privacy Breakfast meetings organized by EPA together with Members of the European Parliament.
