European Commission’s Draft General Regulation On Data Protection Provides For Ground-Breaking Changes

On 25 January 2012, the European Commission (the "Commission") adopted a legislative proposal for a reform of the EU data protection regulatory framework (See, this Newsletter, Volume 2012, No. 1, p. 6).

The proposal consists of a draft Regulation providing for a general framework governing data protection (see at: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/document/review2012/com_2012_11_en.pdf) that would replace the existing EU Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC and a draft Directive setting out the rules on the protection of personal data processed for the purposes of police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters, which would replace the current Framework decision 2008/977/JHA on the same matter. In addition, the European Commission published a Communication and a couple of supplementary documents, which are available at: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/data-protection/news/120125_en.htm.