Enforcement of European data protection standards in the Member States
25.4.2013
Question for written answer E-004630-13
to the Commission
Rule 117
Hubert Pirker (PPE) , Othmar Karas (PPE) , Josef Weidenholzer (S&D) , Birgit Sippel (S&D) , Eva Lichtenberger (Verts/ALE)
In order to ensure compliance with the data protection provisions under European law to the benefit of EU citizens, uniform legislation, transposition at national level and enforcement are vital.
Because of the heavy concentration of IT businesses in the Republic of Ireland, the local data protection supervisory authority plays a key role here. It is regrettable when criticisms are raised in relation to the procedures followed by this very authority.
For example, according to the ‘Europe-versus-Facebook’ initiative, more than a thousand formal complaints against Facebook were simply answered by the Irish authorities with standardised e-mails. The Commission has received a large number of complaints in this regard under the single file number CHAP (2012) 01144. In a case taken against Facebook, the ‘europe-v-facebook.org’ group also complains that it has been refused access to files and evidence.
Can the Commission therefore answer the following questions:
- 1.How many complaints has the Commission received under file number CHAP (2012) 01144? How have these complaints been followed up and dealt with in the Commission?
- 2.How does the Commission monitor the uniform transposition of the data protection provisions under Directive 95/46/EC in the Republic of Ireland and in the other Member States?
- 3.Does the Commission take the view that the aforementioned data protection provisions are transposed to the same extent in the various Member States?
- 4.What are the consequences of the proposed data protection package for the work and budget of the data protection authorities?
OJ C 80 E, 19/03/2014