On 15 December 2015, the EU institutions agreed the new data
protection framework to be implemented under the forthcoming Data
Protection Regulation. The European Parliament and European Council
are expected to adopt the final text of the Regulation in the next
few months and it will then come into effect two years after its
adoption (likely mid 2018).
The Regulation will replace the current European legislative
framework under the 1995 Data Protection Directive
("Directive") on which the primary Irish
data protection law, the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 (the
"Acts") is based. The current system of
various national laws, that transposed the Directive, resulted in a
fragmented regulatory system for data controllers operating in the
European Union. As the Regulation will have direct effect, it
should allow for the application and enforcement of a more
standardised data protection law across the EU. The reforms will
also specifically address some current
