Industry plans to challenge many of the proposals in the new European data laws must be quashed, according to the EU’s head of data protection, who is urging the European Parliament to stand firm.
Delivering his office’s seventh annual report to the Parliament’s civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) Peter Hustinx warned that member states were trying to water down proposals.
He strongly advised against caving in to industry concerns that the new rules will be too “prescriptive” for business. Some fine tuning of the proposal would be fine, he said, “but on the whole the current approach is good”.
Hustinx added: “It is important that the EU administration does not lose sight of the right of the European citizen to privacy and data protection. Only a joint effort to apply a consistent and effective approach will maintain this fundamental right.”
The move comes as industry body the DMA puts the finishing touches to its own ‘economic impact analysis’ report as part of its campaign against what it calls ‘poorly-designed legislation’.
It has already warned that UK companies involved in data-driven marketing will lose millions of pounds in profits and extra costs if forced to implement the new EU data laws in their current form. The CBI has also added its voice to criticism of the proposals, claiming they will burden businesses and threaten innovation.
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