Decision (EU) 2019/682 authorising Member States to ratify the Protocol amending the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data

Summary:

Council Decision of 9 April 2019 authorising Member States to ratify, in the interest of the European Union, an amending Protocol to Council of Europe Convention ETS No 108.

Background and further information:

The Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (Convention 108) is the only legally binding multilateral agreement in the field of personal data protection. The objective of the Convention is to protect the right to privacy, recognised in Article 8 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Convention 108 was opened for signature in 1981, long before the era of the internet and electronic communications. The development of technology and globalisation of information poses new challenges in the field of protection of personal information. The purpose of the amending Protocol is the modernisation of Convention 108, in order to provide solutions to these challenges.

In addition, the current Convention 108 does not provide for the possibility of accession by international organisations. The amending Protocol changes this and hence its entry into force is a condition for the future accession to the Convention by the EU. Therefore in June 2018 the European Commission presented proposals for Council Decisions authorising Member States to sign and to ratify the amending Protocol.

EUR-Lex: COM(2018)451: Proposal for a Decision authorising Member States to ratify the Protocol amending the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2018:451:FIN

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