The Council shows a more balanced ePrivacy Regulation is possible – the Parliament should follow suit

DIGITALEUROPE welcomes today’s adoption of the Council position on the proposed ePrivacy Regulation. After years of difficult negotiations, the Council has managed to take important steps to allow for more beneficial uses of data. Upcoming trilogue negotiations should not deviate too far from this careful balance between protection and innovation.

The Portuguese text has reinstated provisions for further compatible processing of metadata, which had long been debated in Council, and has introduced the same provisions for terminal equipment. These changes, and other improvements over the original proposal, are steps in the right direction to align the text with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director-General of DIGITALEUROPE, said:

“The Portuguese Presidency has found consensus where no one thought it was possible. While the text is not perfect, we applaud the Presidency’s earnest attempt to address some of the key concerns and move the discussion forward.

Now we call on the new Parliament to show flexibility regarding its 2017 position. At a minimum, we need the final text to retain the Council’s inclusion of further compatible processing, including for terminal equipment. This is crucial for Europe’s digital transformation, from connected health to smart manufacturing, and to take full advantage of the digital decade to come.”

DIGITALEUROPE has been supporting the Council in its efforts to achieve a more balanced outcome, protecting trust and opportunities in the digital economy. Together with interests as varied as automotive, medical technology, construction equipment, home appliances and energy, we have repeatedly called for more alignment with the GDPR in order to protect Europe’s industrial future and competitiveness in the global digital economy.