Data Protection Week 2012: CPDP and the BarCamp

By EDRi · February 1, 2012

This article is also available in:
Deutsch: [Die Datenschutzwoche 2012: Datenschutz-Konferenz und BarCamp | https://www.unwatched.org/EDRigram_10.2_Die_Datenschutzwoche_2012_CPDP_und_BarCamp]

The week from 22 to 26 January 2012 was rather busy for everyone involved in
European data protection issues.

First of all, the European Commission has launched its proposals for
revision of the data protection framework. In the same week, the European
Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) published a survey on the performance of
all 58 EU bodies in key areas and showed that EU institutions have different
levels of data protection compliance. The publication of the two draft legal
instruments, the Regulation (replacing the existing Data Protection
Directive from 1995) and the Directive (on data exchange in the area of
policing), are therefore a first step in a long process towards the
harmonisation of European data protection rules. EDRi has welcomed the
proposal for a Regulation, as a single, directly applicable instrument which
is needed to secure greater respect for and awareness of the fundamental
right to data protection and to privacy for European citizens.

Secondly, the Computers, Privacy and Data Protection Conference (CPDP) took
place from 25 to 27 January 2012. Three EDRi speakers made presentations and
defended our views and concerns. Meryem Marzouki spoke for EDRi regarding
the modernisation of the Council of Europe (CoE) Convention 108. Joe McNamee
explained the consequences of copyright enforcement for citizens’ privacy.
Finally, Walter Van Holst gave EDRi’s first comments on the proposal for a
data protection regulation.

On the day before the start of the CPDP, EDRi organised a BarCamp on data
protection and privacy in cooperation with Vrije Universiteit Brussel and
the Facultés Universitaires Saint-Louis. This was an excellent opportunity
for activists to work on various topics such as the right to be forgotten,
PNR, the new Directive and a focus for civil society regarding the new
Regulation.

Finally, the Privacy Day was celebrated internationally on 28 January. The
day aims at promoting the importance of data protection and privacy. In
April 2006, the CoE decided to start celebrating the Data Protection Day on
28 January in Europe which corresponds to the opening for signature of
Convention 108. The Convention is, like the 1995 Directive, also in the
process of being modernised and a first draft with the proposed changes was
published on 18 January 2012.

EDRi: Initial comments on the Proposal for a Data Protection Regulation
(27.01.2012)
https://edri.org/CommentsDPR

Meryem Marzouki’s presentation at CPDP 2012: Modernizing Council of Europe
Convention 108: Comments and Recommendations from a Civil Society
Perspective (27.01.2012)
https://edri.org/files/2012Marzouki-CPDP-CoEConv108.pdf

General Report: Measuring compliance with Regulation (EC) 45/2001 in EU
institutions and bodies (“Survey 2011”) Measuring compliance with
Regulation (EC) 45/2001 (23.01.2012)
http://www.edps.europa.eu/EDPSWEB/webdav/site/mySite/shared/Documents/Supervision/Inquiries/2012/12-01-23_Survey_2011_General_Report_EN.pdf

The Register: Microsoft exec says Safe Harbor framework is “alive and well”
(27.01.2012)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/27/microsoft_cpdp_data_protection_planned_eu_reform/

EDRi BarCamp (24.01.2012)
https://edri.org/Privacy-Camp-EU

Computers, Privacy and Data Protection Conference 2012
http://www.cpdpconferences.org/

Convention 108 and the proposed changes (01.2012)
http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/dataprotection/TPD_documents/T-PD-BUR_2012_01_EN.pdf

(Contribution by Kirsten Fiedler – EDRi)