The European Data Protection reform is, without any doubt, one of the most important initiatives launched by the EU. The legislative process will take at least another year, but if it is successfully concluded, it will have a major impact on our digital lives – and hopefully offer a strong defense of privacy and data protection rights in Europe. At the moment, several committees in the European Parliament are working on the Commission proposals.

The importance of the reform is also the reason why it is now subject to the most aggressive lobbying ever seen in Brussels, mainly led by industry and the US. However, some data protection activists attempt to move the balance back a little bit. We spoke with renowned privacy expert Anna Fielder who is working on the European data protection reform for the non-profit organisation Privacy International.

Links:

• Privacy International: https://www.privacyinternational.org/about-us
• Twitter account Privacy International: @privacyint
• Draft EU Commission proposal for a General Data Protection Regulation (pdf): http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/document/review2012/com_2012_11_en.pdf
• 1995 Directive, to be replaced by the Regulation: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31995L0046:en:HTML
• European Parliament Dossier: http://parltrack.euwiki.org/dossier/2012/0011%28COD%29
• Privacy International position paper: https://www.privacyinternational.org/blog/our-analysis-of-the-european-commissions-proposal-for-a-general-data-protection-regulation
• Guide to the Data Protection reform: http://protectmydata.eu/
• Privacy International project: Global Surveillance Monitor https://www.privacyinternational.org/projects/global-surveillance-monitor
• Privacy International project: Big Brother Inc.https://www.privacyinternational.org/projects/big-brother-inc