EDPD 2011 - European Data Protection Day (EDPD) 2011

“New general data protection legislation…
will produce benefits for all stakeholders”,

was promised by Viviane Reding, Vice President of the European Commission, in November 2010 when she introduced her strategy to reform the European data protection law. “Companies often complain about how Member States apply rules differently. This creates legal uncertainty and adds costs and administrative burdens.” She therefore supports a “legislation with precise and detailed rules”, aiming at legal certainty and reduced costs. The legislation shall be easier to apply, and therefore create incentives for better data protection compliance.

And the new European requirements could become still more relevant for the EU member states: At the end of 2010 the Spanish Supreme Court asked the European Court of Justice whether or not national legislation was allowed to go beyond the provisions of the data protection directive!