<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="ep_elementtext"><p class="">Dear colleagues,</p><p class=""><strong class="">Important EU decision taken Thursday 14 April :</strong><a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20160407IPR21776/Data-protection-reform-Parliament-approves-new-rules-fit-for-the-digital-era" class=""> http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20160407IPR21776/Data-protection-reform-Parliament-approves-new-rules-fit-for-the-digital-era</a></p><p class=""> <strong class="">New EU data protection rules which aim to give 
citizens back control of their personal data and create a high, uniform 
level of data protection across the EU fit for the digital era was given
 their final approval by MEPs on Thursday. The reform also sets minimum 
standards on use of data for policing and judicial purposes.</strong></p><p class="">Parliament’s vote ends more than four years of work on a 
complete overhaul of EU data protection rules. The reform will replace 
the current data protection directive, dating back to 1995 when the 
internet was still in its infancy, with a general regulation designed to
 give citizens more control over their own private information in a 
digitised world of smartphones, social media, internet banking and 
global transfers.</p><p class="">"The general data protection regulation makes a high, 
uniform level of data protection throughout the EU a reality. This is a 
great success for the European Parliament and a fierce European 'yes' to
 strong consumer rights and competition in the digital age. Citizens 
will be able to decide for themselves which personal information they 
want to share", said Jan Philipp Albrecht (Greens, DE), who steered the 
legislation through Parliament.</p><p class="">"The regulation will also create clarity for businesses 
by establishing a single law across the EU. The new law creates 
confidence, legal certainty and fairer competition", he added.</p><p class="">The new rules include provisions on:</p> 
                                                                                                <ul class="">
                                                                                                        <li class="">
                                                                                                                <div class="">a right to be forgotten,</div>
                                                                                                        </li>
                                                                                                        <li class="">
                                                                                                                <div class="">"clear and affirmative consent" to the processing of private data by the person concerned,</div>
                                                                                                        </li>
                                                                                                        <li class="">
                                                                                                                <div class="">a right to transfer your data to another service provider,</div>
                                                                                                        </li>
                                                                                                        <li class="">
                                                                                                                <div class="">the right to know when your data has been hacked,</div>
                                                                                                        </li>
                                                                                                        <li class="">
                                                                                                                <div class="">ensuring that privacy policies are explained in clear and understandable language, and</div>
                                                                                                        </li>
                                                                                                        <li class="">
                                                                                                                <div class="">stronger enforcement and fines up to 4% of firms' total worldwide annual turnover, as a deterrent to breaking the rules.</div></li></ul><p class=""><strong class="">New rules on data transfers to ensure smoother police cooperation</strong></p><p class="">The data protection package also includes a directive on 
data transfers for policing and judicial purposes. It will apply to data
 transfers across borders within the EU as well as, for the first time, 
setting minimum standards for data processing for policing purposes 
within each member state.</p><p class="">The new rules aim to protect individuals, whether 
victims, criminals or witnesses, by setting out clear rights and 
limitations on data transfers for the purpose of prevention, 
investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the 
execution of criminal penalties, including safeguarding against and 
preventing threats to public security, while at the same time 
facilitating smoother and more effective cooperation among law 
enforcement authorities.</p><p class="">"The main problem concerning terrorist attacks and other 
transnational crimes is that member states’ law enforcement authorities 
are reluctant to exchange valuable information", said Parliament's lead 
MEP on the directive Marju Lauristin (S&D, ET)."By setting European 
standards for information exchange between law enforcement authorities, 
the data protection directive will become a powerful and useful tool 
which will help authorities transfer personal data easily and 
efficiently, at the same time respecting the fundamental right to 
privacy", she concluded.</p><p class="">More details on the general data protection regulation and the directive in our <a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20160413BKG22980/QA-new-EU-rules-on-data-protection-put-the-citizen-back-in-the-driving-seat" target="_blank" class="">Q&A</a> here.</p><p class=""><strong class="">Next steps</strong></p><p class="">The regulation will enter into force 20 days after its 
publication in the EU Official Journal. Its provisions will be directly 
applicable in all member states two years after this date.</p><p class="">Member states will have two years to transpose the provisions of the directive into national law.</p><p class="">Due to UK and Ireland's special status regarding justice 
and home affairs legislation, the directive's provisions will only apply
 in these countries to a limited extent.</p><p class="">Denmark will be able to decide within six months after 
the final adoption of the directive whether it wants to implement it in 
its national law.</p>
                                                                                        </div>
                                                                                        <div class="ep_elementreference">
                                                                                                <abbr title="Reference" class="">REF.</abbr> : 20160407IPR21776 
                                                                                                <div class="ep_updated"> Updated: <span class="ep_hidden">(</span> 14-04-2016 - 16:23</div><div class="ep_updated"><br class=""></div><div class="ep_updated"><a href="http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20160407IPR21776/Data-protection-reform-Parliament-approves-new-rules-fit-for-the-digital-era" class="">http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20160407IPR21776/Data-protection-reform-Parliament-approves-new-rules-fit-for-the-digital-era</a></div></div></body></html>