e-Privacy Regulation: The Return?

On 10 February 2021, the Council of the European Union published a press release according to which the Member States' representatives at the Council (Committee of Permanent Representatives or "Coreper") have agreed to grant a negotiating mandate to the Council for the revised rules on the protection of privacy and confidentiality in the use of electronic communications services.

Hence, after years of a certain legislative slowdown following the publication in 2017 of the EU Commission's proposal for a regulation on the respect for private life and the protection of personal data in electronic communications (the "e-Privacy Regulation") aiming to replace the e-Privacy Directive 2002/58/EC, this mandate of negotiation will finally permit the launch of a "trilogue" legislative process (between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission) with a view to reaching a final agreement on the content on the said e-Privacy Regulation (not expected any time soon though).