EU laws will give firms 'advantage'

Protests over the new EU data laws have been likened to the car industry’s resistance to green measures, with one senior MEP claiming firms will be pushed to innovate and ultimately gain a “competitive advantage”.
The comments were made by Dutch MEP Sophie In ‘t Veld, deputy chair of the civil liberties committee (LIBE), which is leading the draft Data Protection Regulations, and has the final vote on the plans.
Speaking at a private event earlier this week co-organised by The Parliament Magazine, Europrise and PA Europe, In ‘t Veld said that the debate on the new laws “has been heating up in recent weeks”. She also conceded that there were concerns the “US will reap the benefits of not having to work under the burden of so much regulation”.
But industry protests over the regulation harming competitiveness were “similar complaints” to those made by the car industry in response to EU environmental legislation, and now the “biggest selling brand of car uses a greenest car brand” profile.
“Rules can force companies into innovating,” she said, adding that data protection legislation also impacts on competition policies and could give the EU a “competitive advantage”.
People are only just beginning to understand how crucial a topic this is, she stressed. “They want their data to be protected. They want to know that they can be anonymous. Privacy is the new green.”
Data protection used to be considered a “nothing” report, but is “now the most important piece of legislation in this mandate”, she added.
Irish MEP Seán Kelly, who also spoke at the event, said the European Parliament did not intend to “overburden” companies with “red tape”, but added that proposals mean that “Europe will be seen as a leader, not a follower” on this issue.