The European Commission has published a GDPR impact report assessing Member States’ implementation of the regulation so far.
The report, published just over a year after the entry into law of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), examines the impact to date of the EU-wide implementation of GDPR and the impact it has had on businesses and citizens. The findings of the GDPR impact report suggested that overall, Member States’ legal frameworks and enforcement procedures covering the regulation are by now well implemented; with businesses across the EU developing a growing ‘compliance culture’ and GDPR protocols becoming standardised practice.
Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, said: “The General Data Protection Regulation is bearing fruit. It equips Europeans with strong tools to address the challenges of digitalisation and puts them in control of their personal data. It gives businesses opportunities to make the most of the digital revolution, while ensuring people’s trust in it. Beyond Europe, it opens up possibilities for digital diplomacy to promote data flows based on high standards between countries that share EU values – but work needs to continue for the new data protection regime to become fully operational and effective.”
A data protection survey conducted on behalf of the Commission in June showed high levels of awareness on the part of EU citizens of their rights concerning data protection under GDPR. However, the GDPR impact report noted, only 20% of the survey’s respondents demonstrated clear awareness of which public authority was responsible for protecting their data. The Commission therefore intends to launch a campaign during the summer of 2019 to increase citizens’ awareness of their rights and responsibilities on data privacy.
First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans said: “The European Union strives to stay at the forefront of the protection of personal rights in the digital transformation while seizing the many opportunities it offers for jobs and innovation. Data is becoming an invaluable element for a booming digital economy and is playing an increasingly vital role in developing innovative systems and machine learning. It is essential for us to shape the global field for the development of the technological revolution and for its proper use in full respect of individual rights.”
