European NGOs Critical of Council Position on New Data Protection Law
In response to an earlier proposal from the European Parliament, the European Council has approved a draft intended to update the EU1995 Data Directive. The goal of the new Regulation is to modernize, harmonize, and strengthen data protection across the European Union. However, EU NGOs, including Privacy International and EDRi, have expressed strong concern about the Council position, which creates numerous exceptions and disregards fundamental rights. In April, EPIC and a coalition of over sixty NGOs urged the EU to uphold robust data protection standards. Negotiations among the EU institutions will continue later this month.