Vote on EU DP proposals now delayed

The lead rapporteur for the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) announced at a LIBE meeting on 6 May that the committee’s vote on the draft DP Regulation will be delayed due to around 3,000 amendments it needs to consider.

The original plan was to vote on 29 May. Albrecht now says that it should still be possible to vote before the summer recess.

It is expected that the draft will be revised so that it will take a more risk-based approach. Profiling, the Right to be Forgotten, Data Protection Officers, fines and explicit consent are some of the issues where MEPs have proposed amendments.

Ireland's Presidency wanted to have a negotiating mandate ready by June so that the talks between the Parliament and the Council could take place in the second half of 2013. After that, the Civil Liberties Committee will vote on a text agreed text with the Council of Ministers at the beginning of 2014, followed by plenary vote in the Parliament.

The EU Data Protection draft Regulation will be covered in detail at PL&B's 26th Annual International Conference at Queen's College, Cambridge 1-3 July 2013.