EU Data Protection Reform: Consolidated Texts As Result of Trilogue

Today, the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) confirmed the final text for a Data Protection Regulation resulting from the trilogue between Council, Parliament and Commission on data protection reform. The agreement on the final text was a compromise reached on 15 December 2015. This agreement is in line with the request from the European Council for negotiations on data protection reform to be concluded by the end of 2015.

Aim

The general data protection regulation aims at enhancing the level of data protection for individuals whose personal data is processed and increasing business opportunities in the digital single market including through reduced administrative burden. 

Background

Data protection reform is a legislative package proposed by the Commission in 2012 to update and modernise the data protection rules.  It concerns two legislative instruments: the general data protection regulation (intended to replace directive 95/46/EC) and the data protection directive in the area of law enforcement (intended to replace the 2008 data protection framework decision). 

The protection of persons in relation to the processing of their personal data is a fundamental right laid down in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (Article 8) and in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Article 16).

Next Steps

On 17 December 2015, in an extra-ordinary meeting, the European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee endorsed the texts agreed in the trilogues. This support enabled Coreper on 18 December 2015 to confirm the final compromise texts on the General Data Protection Regulation and the Directive.

After a legal-linguistic review of the texts, they will be submitted for adoption by the Council and, subsequently, by the Parliament. The Regulation and the Directive are likely to enter into force in spring 2018.

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EU General Data Protection Regulation, consolidated text emanated as result from trilogue, 15 December 2015

EU General Data Protection Regulation (first reading) - Analysis of the final compromise text with a view to agreement, 15 December 2015

Commission, "Agreement on Commission's EU data protection reform will boost Digital Single Market", Press Release IP/15/6321 of 15 December 2015

EU-Parliament, LIBE-Committee, "Data protection package: Parliament and Council now close to a deal", Press Release, 15 December 2015 (updated on 17 December 2015)

"EU data protection reform: Council confirms agreement with the European Parliament",  press release 951/15, 18 December 2015

Commission, "Questions and Answers - Data protection reform", Fact Sheet, MEMO/15/6385, 21 December 2015