In an on-line questionnaire launched yesterday, the European
Commission is seeking views on the implementation of the 1995 Data
Protection Directive. It hopes to collect the views of governments,
public authorities, businesses of all sizes and individuals.
The Commission wants to know how well they think the Directive
is working and what changes may be needed. The on-line survey asks
for opinions on many aspects of privacy, including medical records,
e-commerce and the use of e-mail by employees.
The results will be discussed with data protection experts at a
conference organised by the Commission on 30th September and 1st
October in Brussels. The findings will feed into the Commission’s
next report on the implementation of the Data Protection
Directive.
Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein said:
"The Commission's job is to ensure a secure
legal framework that allows the free movement of information in the
Internal Market, while at the same time guaranteeing the
fundamental right of individuals to have their privacy respected.
There is of course no privacy without the protection of personal
data. We have to keep the Data Protection Directive under review to
ensure that it is working in the interests our citizens,
businesses, public authorities and other interested parties."
The aim of the 1995 Data Protection Directive is to set out a
clear framework for privacy protection in the EU. The Directive
entered into force on 24 October 1998 and has been implemented into
national law by all Member States of the European Union except
Ireland and Luxembourg. The Commission expects those two countries
to finalise their implementation before the end of this year.
