Press Release: Data protection: Commission report shows that EU law is achieving its main aims

According to the European Commission's First Report on the transposition of the Data Protection Directive, published on 16 May 2003, the 1995 Data Protection Directive has broadly achieved its aim of ensuring strong protection for privacy while making it easier for personal data to be moved around the European Union. However, late implementation by Member States and differences in the ways the Directive is applied at national level have prevented Europe's economy from getting the full benefit of the Directive. The report proposes a work plan to reduce those differences, based on co-operation among Member States and between Member States and the Commission, followed by a review in 2005 of whether amendments to the Directive are necessary. The free flow of personal information throughout the EU is essential for the efficient conduct of almost any economic activity on an EU-wide basis. The report is based on wide consultation, including an international conference and an online survey to which over 10,000 responses were received.

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/internal_market/privacy/lawreport_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/comm/internal_market/privacy/lawreport_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/internal_market/privacy/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/comm/internal_market/privacy/index_en.htm

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