Following increasing public awareness and concerns about the need for effective privacy safeguards and the pace of technological developments, the ICO states that it is keen to stimulate debate on how data protection in practice can be improved. The proposed study will help to inform this debate by examining the EU Data Protection Directive and its application and by identifying ways to improve EU law which will provide effective protection for individuals and society while minimising burdens for organisations.
Iain Bourne, Head of Data Protection Projects at the ICO, said: ‘There is a growing feeling that the EU Directive on data protection is becoming increasingly outdated and is more bureaucratic and burdensome than it needs to be. Although only the European Commission can initiate the process for changing the Directive, the ICO wants to start a debate about its strengths and weaknesses to ensure EU data protection law effectively meets the needs of organisations and individuals.’
For further information about the invitation to tender, contact Iain Bourne at iain.bourne@ico.gsi.gov.uk or go here.
