The new rules will also replace the current patchwork of national laws with a single set of rules, which should make it easier for companies to move across the EU while at the same time strengthening citizens' rights.
The EU's current data protection laws date from 1995, before the Internet came into widespread use, and does not cover data processed for law enforcement purposes. Today, 250 million people use the Internet daily in Europe. The new rules update existing legal principles and apply them to the new online environment, so as to ensure effective protection of the fundamental right to data protection and improve certainty as to the law for companies.
The changes made by the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee to the European Commission proposal constitute Parliament's mandate to start negotiations with the Council on the legislative package. Inter-institutional talks will start as soon as EU countries agree on their own negotiating position. Parliament's aim is to reach an agreement on this major legislative reform before the May 2014 European elections.
REF. : 20130502BKG07917
