July 29, 2015,  Council of Ministers, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Commission, European Data Protection Supervisor, European Parliament, News  No comments

This week the EU’s independent privacy watchdog, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has declared wide ranging support for the European Parliament’s version of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that’s the subject of trilogue negotiations between the European Commission, European Parliament and Council that may be concluded as early as end of October 2015.

However, a notable difference between the EDPS and the European Parliament’s view is the mandatory appointment by organisations and companies of a Data Protection Officer (DPO).

It’s worth noting that 35% of all EU Member States currently require the appointment of a DPO as a compulsory measur...

July 26, 2015,  Council of Ministers, data protection, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Commission, European Parliament, News  No comments

For Working Party 29 (WP29), the role of the Data Protection Officer (DPO) under the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the cornerstone of accountability as well as being a real tool of competitiveness for companies.

Tasked with the implementation of accountability tools that include the policies, procedures documentation, data protection impact assessments as well as internal training for all employees entrusted with handling customer data, the DPO is more like a ‘compliance orchestrator’ in much the same way as a conductor of a symphony orchestra, such as Parsee-born Zubin Mehta, conductor of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra.

In its advice not...

July 12, 2015,  Council of Ministers, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Commission, European Parliament, Legal update  No comments

Companies and organisations that use data at the centre of their sales and marketing activities – and that’s just about everyone reading this blog – will be impacted by the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Agreement between the European Parliament, Council of Ministers and European Commission now looks like a distinct possibility in November/December 2015 after which there’ll be a two-year transition period before sanctions begin to bite.

How the GDPR fits into an overall framework of changes within the European Union

EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

The Charter is an important development as it’s the first formal EU document to combine and d...

July 12, 2015,  data protection, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Commission, European Parliament, Legal update  No comments

It’s no exaggeration to claim but when the history of data protection and privacy is written 10 years from now, one company will be credited with having had the most influence over the shape of data protection and privacy across the European Union (EU).

And it’s Google.

No week goes past without some reference to one of the most powerful digital companies on the planet. And this week just gone has been no exception.

On Thursday 9 July, Google was forced to revise its privacy policy after the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) threatened to fine company €15m. Google will now have to seek new users’ permission to combine their personal data throughout its services...

June 24, 2015,  Council of Ministers, data protection, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Commission, European Parliament, Events  No comments

Speaking after the first Trilogue meeting today, Jan Philipp Albrecht, Rapporteur for the European Parliament said that agreement between the European Commission, Parliament and Council of Ministers may be achievable by the end of 2015 alongside the Data Protection Directive for law enforcement – the so-called EU Police Directive.

Speaking to reporters, Albrecht said: “The Trilogue (negotiations) today showed very clearly that agreement is feasible if all parties are open to compromise. All parties are committed to the timetable. The texts are actually a lot closer to each other now than we thought a few months ago.”

He was referring to the versions of GDPR that each si...

June 15, 2015,  Council of Ministers, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Parliament, Legal update, News  No comments

Speaking at a news conference a few hours ago, Věra Jourová, the European Union’s Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality announced that an “historic step” had been taken today as the European Council of Ministers reached agreement on the general approach on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Latvia’s minister for justice Dzintars Rasnačs added: “We have moved a great step closer to modernised and harmonised data protection framework for the European Union...

June 13, 2015,  Guru in a Bottle  No comments

Guest blogger David Pearson shares his thoughts on the significance of the 800th year anniversary of the Magna Carta.

This weekend marks the 800th anniversary of the sealing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede by King John on 15thJune 1215. On 14th June church bells will peel across the land to celebrate the occasion. (That happens to be my birthday so I’ve told my lunch guests that I’ve arranged the bell ringing in my honour.) Magna Carta was effectively a peace treaty between King John and the Barons who opposed him to avoid a civil war.

Most of its 63 clauses constitute a deal restoring or granting rights to the Barons...

June 13, 2015,  Guru in a Bottle  No comments

Kevin Spacey, the Hollywood star who has spent so long running the Old Vic he has almost become a Londoner, has been given the ultimate establishment accolade — an honorary knighthood.

Spacey, whose charity work has earned him the support of the Prince of Wales, is named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, published today.

The star of The Usual Suspects and House of Cards said: “I am honoured and humbled by such recognition from the Queen. I must thank the British public for being so supportive of my efforts on behalf of the Old Vic. I feel like an adopted son.”

As a US citizen, Spacey, 55, will be able to wear the insignia of the award, but will not be called Sir ...

June 11, 2015,  Guru in a Bottle, Sponsorship News  No comments

Improving the Performance of Sponsorship written by British sponsorship award winning author and consultant Ardi Kolah is published globally on 29 June by Routledge.

Kolah is a senior lecturer on sponsorship at Cass Business School, Henley Business School, Kingston Business School and London Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law.

If you’re interested in ALL to types of sponsorship, then this is the book for YOU!

The book takes a timely and comprehensive look at all types of sponsorship – from sports, entertainment, music, media, charitable, education and environment – examining everything from its mechanics to ethical and legal issues as well as measurement and evaluation...

June 9, 2015,  European Commission, European Parliament, Guru in a Bottle, Legal update  No comments

The clock is ticking for reaching agreement on the EU General Data Protection Regulation, according to the European People’s Party (EPP) Group that brings together centre and centre-right pro-European political forces from the Member States and represents the largest group in the European Parliament.

Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 June 2015

The Council of Ministers will meet in Luxembourg to agree the adoption of a general approach to GDPR.

In effect, the Council will declare its own view on the preferred draft for GDPR and GDPR watchers the world over will be able to compare and contrast the various differences that will exist between this version and the one favoured by the Eur...