Data protection

CPME Rapporteur on Data protection: Sjaak NOUWT (NL)
CPME Secretariat: Sara RODA

CPME believes that a high level protection of all citizens’ data is essential, especially health and medical data. Indeed, the patient-doctor relationship is built on confidence and trust, medical records should therefore be considered as particularly sensitive data. At the same time, it is of utmost importance that healthcare data be stored with the appropriate security standards, for purposes of proof of medical treatment and for future patient’s safety.

Following the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on 27 April 2016, CPME will closely monitor the implementation of this new regulatory framework, especially in respect of the processing of data concerning health.

Adopted policies include:

• CPME statement on the Commission proposal for a Regulation on Privacy and Electronic Communications (ePrivacy Regulation) – 2017/0003(COD), adopted in September 2017
• CPME endorsement of the WMA Declaration of Taipei on ethical considerations regarding health databases and biobanks, in April 2017
• CPME Statement on medical confidentiality, adopted in October 2015
• CPME recommendations ahead of trilogue negotiations on the General Data Protection Regulation (2012/0011(COD)), adopted in September 2015
• CPME response to the WMA public consultation on the ‘WMA Declaration on ethical considerations regarding health databases and biobanks’, adopted in May 2015
• CPME, CED, Open letter to MEPs ahead of the votes on the proposed General Data Protection Regulation and the Initiative report on the electronic mass surveillance of European citizens, adopted in March 2014
• CPME Statement on the draft report of MEP Claude Moraes on electronic mass surveillance and subsequent amendments, adopted in February 2014
• CPME Open letter to the European institutions and the US mission to the European Union regarding the PRISM programme, in September 2013
• CPME Letter on the General Data Protection Regulation : Consent in the field of research, adopted in September 2013
• CPME Statement on the report by Jan Philip Albrecht on the general data protection regulation 2012/0011 (COD) and the subsequent amendments, adopted on 16 May 2013
• CPME Statement on the proposal of Regulation on data protection, amending Directive 95/45/EC, adopted on 24 November 2012
• CPME response to Public Consultation on the Commission’s comprehensive approach on personal data protection in the European Union, adopted on 14 January 2011
• CPME Response concerning the working document on the processing of personal data relating to health in electronic health records (EHR) – Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, adopted on 7 July 2007