Press Release: Transparency vs. data protection? The EDPS presents guidelines for good practice as to both rights

Transparency and data protection are both essential elements of democratic life in the European Union. Citizens have a right of access to documents of European institutions. Equally, citizens enjoy protection of their personal data. What if those data are part of a public document? How to proceed in such a situation? Peter Hustinx, the European Data Protection Supervisor, on 12 July 2005 issued a paper providing guidelines for dealing with requests for access to public documents containing personal data.