Personal data protection achievements during the legislative term 2014-2019: the role of the European Parliament

Briefing 04-04-2019

Protection of personal data and respect for private life are important fundamental rights in the European Union. Considerable progress was made in safeguarding privacy during the legislative term 2014-2019 – most importantly, new EU data protection rules strengthening citizens’ rights and simplifying the rules for companies in the digital age took effect in May 2018. The European Parliament has always insisted on the need to strike a balance between enhancing security and safeguarding human rights, including data protection and privacy. In Parliament, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE Committee) is responsible for legislation in the area of the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data, according to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.