Update from European Commission on Implementation of GDPR

On 24th January, the European Commission produced a progress report on the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation across Europe which comes into effect on 25th May 2018.

Titled the "Commission guidance on the direct application of the General Data Protection Regulation", they call for "all concerned actors to intensify the ongoing work to ensure the consistent application and interpretation of the new rules across the EU and to raise awareness among businesses and citizens".



The paper identifies that the directive strengthns the protection of individual rights and open opportunities for companies and business by:

• A harmonised  legal  framework  leading  to  a  uniform  application  of  rules  to  the benefit  of  the  EU  digital  single  market.
• A  level-playing  field  for  all  companies  operating  in  the  EU  market. 
• The  principles  of  data  protection  by  design  and  by  default
• Stronger individuals’ rights
• More  control  over  personal  data  for  individuals.
• Stronger protection against data breaches
• The  Regulation  gives  all  data  protection  authorities  the  power  to  impose  fines  on controllers and processors.
• More flexibility for controllers and processors processing personal data  due to unambiguous provisions on responsibility (the accountability principle)
• More  clarity  on  the  obligations of processors and the responsibility of controllers when selecting a processor
• A modern governance system to ensure that the rules are enforced more consistently and  strongly.
• The  protection  of  the  personal  data  guaranteed  by  the  Regulation  travels  with  the data outside the EU ensuring a high level of protection

 The full paper is available to download here.