Information Commissioner's Officer to analyse EU Data Protection Directive

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is inviting tenders to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the EU Data Protection law and 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at the ICO, said, "There is a growing feeling that the EU Directive on data protection is becoming increasingly outdated and is more bureaucratic and burdensome than it needs to be.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."