Reform of EU Data Protection Rules
In January 2012 the European Commission proposed a major reform of the legal framework of the protection of personal data.
Currently, data protection rules within the EU form part of the 1995 EU Protection of Personal Data Directive. The Commission's decision to undertake a comprehensive revision of EU data protection legislation came about primarily to modernise the 1995 Directive, and to harmonise data protection laws across the 27 member states through stringent Regulation rather than a Directive, which is open to interpretation.
Data protection is a fundamental right for EU citizens; these laws exist primarily to instil consumer confidence in the European market so that data is only distributed at the consent of the consumer and appropriate redress is available if data is abused.
As a Liberal Democrat, Sharon supports the consumer's right to control the use of their personal data. However, it is important that whilst the regulation should offer an adequate level of protection to consumers, it should be realistic to workable conditions and provide flexibility to allow businesses, NGOs, and public authorities to operate with ease within the Single Market.
The committee responsible for revising the rules on data protection is the Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee. As Sharon does not sit on this committee she has not yet had the opportunity to fully engage with the proposals. In the meantime Sharon will of course continue monitor the progress of these proposals and raise any specific concerns with her Lib Dem and ALDE colleagues via group meetings.
If you would like to follow the progress of these proposals for yourself then you can do so by clicking here.