Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
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Series Title | COM |
Series Details | (2012) 9 final (25.1.12) |
Publication Date | 25/01/2012 |
Content Type | Policy-making |
The rapid pace of technological change and globalisation have profoundly transformed the way in which an ever-increasing volume of personal data is collected, accessed, used and transferred. New ways of sharing information through social networks and storing large amounts of data remotely have become part of life for many of Europe's 250 million internet users. At the same time, personal data has become an asset for many businesses. Collecting, aggregating and analysing the data of potential customers is often an important part of their economic activities. In this new digital environment, individuals have the right to enjoy effective control over their personal information. Data protection is a fundamental right in Europe, enshrined in Article 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as in Article 16(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and needs to be protected accordingly. To prepare the reform of the EU's data protection framework in a transparent manner, the Commission has, since 2009, launched public consultations on data protection and engaged in intensive dialogue with stakeholders. On 4 November 2010, the Commission published a Communication on a comprehensive approach on personal data protection in the European Union which set out the main themes of the reform. Between September and December 2011, the Commission was involved in an enhanced dialogue with Europe's national data protection authorities and with the European Data Protection Supervisor to explore options for more consistent application of EU data protection rules across all EU Member States. These discussions made clear that both citizens and businesses wanted the European Commission to reform EU data protection rules in a comprehensive manner. After assessing the impacts of different policy options, the European Commission is now proposing a strong and consistent legislative framework across Union policies, enhancing individuals' rights, the Single Market dimension of data protection and cutting red tape for businesses. The Commission proposes that the new framework should consist of: This Communication sets out the main elements of the reform of the EU framework for data protection. |
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Source Link | Link to Main Source http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2012:0009:FIN:EN:PDF |
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Subject Categories | Justice and Home Affairs, Values and Beliefs |
Countries / Regions | Europe |