Pretraži

After years of pressure from civil society organisations and the European Parliament, in 2023 the European Commission tabled a proposal to improve the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) cross-border enforcement procedure. The proposal lays out detailed and innovative rules that would promote harmonisation, yet this analysis shows that more could be done to deliver on the promise of strong and timely enforcement. It follows from the nature of the Commission's targeted approach that the scope ...

After years of pressure from civil society organisations and the European Parliament, in July 2023 the Commission tabled a proposal to improve the GDPR cross-border enforcement procedure. The proposal consists of rules that are detailed and innovative, yet also quite complex, especially when dealing with the various phases of the GDPR cooperation and consistency mechanism. To help convey an in-depth understanding and facilitate a critical discussion, this briefing tabulates the envisaged procedure ...

As the European Union's only directly elected institution, the European Parliament stands at the heart of European representative democracy, the foundation upon which the EU is built. Since its creation, the Parliament's powers have evolved significantly, and it is now a fully fledged legislative body and forum for discussion and engagement, whose influence is felt in virtually all areas of EU activity. This paper offers an overview of the European Parliament's main powers, demonstrating how they ...

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, deepening political polarisation and widespread adoption of advanced technology, the EU faces the threat of foreign interference. Elections to the European Parliament and in many Member States emphasise the need to defend against foreign interference in a critical time for our democracies.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for a resilient healthcare system but also for quick access to inventions and technologies in challenging situations. To address this need, in April 2023 the Commission submitted a proposal for a regulation on compulsory licensing for crisis management. The aim is to secure the rapid deployment of patent-protected inventions in times of crisis or emergency, without eroding patent protection as an incentive to innovate. The proposal lays down rules and procedures ...

Ever since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became applicable in May 2018, the European Parliament and civil society organisations have been flagging deficits in its enforcement and pushing for better implementation, but little has changed. To address the situation, in July 2023 the Commission tabled a proposal aimed at improving GDPR enforcement. The proposal seeks to support the smooth functioning and timely completion of enforcement procedures in cases of cross-border processing. ...

On 15 June and 7 July 2023, the German Federal Parliament approved the 2018 reform of the EU rules on elections to the European Parliament, and that approval is now awaiting promulgation before it takes effect. Enacting the reform requires the approval of all EU Member States. All but two – Cyprus and Spain – have given their approval. Cyprus is preparing to finalise its approval procedure, but Spain has not yet launched its. Once all Member States have given their approval and the EU reform law ...

EU lawmakers have drafted and negotiated a regulation on geographical indications for non-agricultural products, to enable the registration of names of craft and industrial products as geographical indications and to enhance their protection within the EU and in third-countries. The European Parliament is expected to vote on the final text resulting from the trilogue negotiations during its September plenary session.

The datafication of everyday life and data scandals have made the protection of personal information an increasingly important social, legal and political matter for the EU. In recent years, awareness of data rights and enforcement expectations have both grown considerably. The right to privacy and the right to protection of personal data are both enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and in the EU Treaties. The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 gave the Charter the ...

Increasingly stakeholders submit that EU data protection rules jeopardise Europe's data-driven prosperity and demand targeted weakening of data protection rules. As the debate becomes more polarised, it is more important than ever to establish a baseline for discussions by taking stock of current tracking practices. This briefing illustrates how leading internet companies track users across devices and services. It reviews the latest research and answers questions such as: Do companies track my browsing ...