The UK'sInformation Commissioner's
Office(ICO) is inviting tenders to assess the
strengths and weaknesses of theEU Data Protection lawand to
recommend updates that relieve the bureaucratic burden it
entails.
The ICO said it is keen to stimulate debate on how to improve
data protection in practice. This follows increasing public
awareness and concerns about the need for effective privacy
safeguards and the pace of technological developments, the ICO
said.
The study will examine the EU Data Protection Directive and its
application to identify better ways to provide effective protection
for individuals and society and minimise burdens on
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protection is becoming increasingly outdated and is more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."