Workshop on the Economic Benefits of PETs

The European Commission has launched a study on the economic benefits of PETs. The Workshop will present the interim report of this study, which is currently being carried out by London Economics. It will also give the opportunity to a broad spectrum of stakeholders to share their experience with PETs. We hope that participants will provide us with practical examples as to whether PETs work or not, and how their deployment can be beneficial to all of us. This Workshop is designed for PETs stakeholders (developers, deployers, public authorities, users/consumers). In order to create a working atmosphere, the Workshop will be limited to the participation of only 50 experts.

• Programme (PDF File 154 KB)

Bridging the Research Gap in the Field of Illicit Drugs in the EU

The European Commission (Directorate General for Justice, Freedom and Security) is organising a two day conference on "Bridging the Research Gap in the Field of Illicit Drugs in the EU" on 24 and 25 September 2009 in Brussels. The conference will be opened by Jacques Barrot, Vice President of the European Commission.

The conference will take stock of research in the field of illicit drugs in the EU, through a strategic look at future research needs and how EU coordination and cooperation could be improved to strengthen research capacity in this field. To do this, the conference will bring together some 200 policy makers, researchers, and research funding organisations from across the EU together with representatives from international organisations and EU institutions.

A number of places are reserved for invited participants from the EU Member States (government departments, research funding agencies, researchers) representatives from the EMCDDA and international organisations. However, given the focus of the conference on illicit drug policy, research and research-funding, we would like to encourage active participation, in particular from the following fields:

• researchers in the illicit drugs field (e.g. from public health, mental health and addiction, sociology, medicine, law, criminology);
• research councils and/or funding agencies already involved in the funding of drug-related (or addiction) research or interested in doing so in the future;
• other stakeholders that play an important role in illicit drug-related research.

If you would like to participate in this event, please pre-register, using the on-line registration form. Your registration will be subject to agreement from the European Commission and will be confirmed by our contractor TIPIK. Please note that participation may have to be restricted due to the limited number of places available. Participants are requested to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

The deadline for registration is Monday 30 August 2009 using the on-line conference website www.illicitdrugsresearch.eu.

ICT4Justice 2009 conference. ICT solutions for Justice.

ICT deployment in European judicial systems is a key element to face the challenges posed by the globalisation of crime, by immigration and civil disputes, and to improve significantly the administration of civil and criminal justice. ICT support to justice opens new possibilities for supporting criminal investigations, prosecution activities, judicial cooperation, trials and management of judicial cases, litigation, justice of peace, labour, posing at the same time relevant challenges related to privacy, information security, non repudiation and usability of the electronic folders.

The ICT4JUSTICE 2009 event aims to promote the experience exchange in establishing and enhancing the e-Justice systems, by sharing experiences and examples of good practices, and to present world's latest trends in e-Justice sector, and the future oriented services in justice sector. The conference will make it possible to:

• share experience in increasing the efficiency of national judicial systems and corresponding trends in the world;
• explore the possibilities for integration of e-Justice services and systems at the EU level and in the world;
• present the most advanced ICT-supported legal services to citizens, the public sector and business, and share experience in managing legal information (e-Law);
• analyse issues such as privacy, information security, non repudiation, and long term archiving of legal documents.

The conference will be held in Skopje (FYR Macedonia) on September 24th 2009. Information regarding important dates for participation to the event is available at www.ICT4JUSTICE.org/2009. Registration to the event is free and can be performed online at www.ICT4JUSTICE.org/2009.

Launch of the European Action on Drugs.

On the International Day against Drug Abuse and Trafficking, Vice-President Barrot is to launch the European Action on Drugs (EAD) in Brussels at an event, at which declarations will be made by the Action's first signatories, including non-governmental organizations, public, private companies, youth organisations and individuals.

After this event, other European organisations will have the opportunity to sign up to the European Action on Drugs. The initiative is open to NGOs, representatives of national and local authorities, state institutions, leisure and sports associations, and companies in a range of sectors, such as insurance and transport, as well as individuals who wish to take practical action in their own areas of responsibility and to make a direct contribution to the goals of the European Action on Drugs. These will include celebrities, who are best placed to get the message across and influence people's behaviour, particularly in the case of the younger generation.

The aim of the European Action on Drugs is to seek a European response to a growing problem which is no respecter of borders and to the potentially devastating economic and social consequences of drug abuse, particularly among the young.

The background:

Drugs, which affect the whole of society, continue to pose a serious and growing problem in the European Union:

• Within the EU, some 12 million people take cocaine or have done so at some time.
• One EU citizen dies of an overdose every hour.
• Drugs lead to between 7 000 and 8 000 deaths a year in Europe.
• Each year there are some 3 000 new cases of drug-related HIV infection in Europe.
• Between 1.3 and 1.7 million people in the Union are involved in problematic opiate use.
• Over one-fifth (22 %) of adult Europeans have used cannabis.
• 95 % of respondents to a recent Eurobarometer opinion poll said there should continue to be controls on heroin, cocaine and ecstasy in Europe.

The European Action on Drugs is a Commission initiative under the EU Drugs Action Plan for 2009-2012.

The event:

• 10.00: Launch of the European Action on Drugs in the Berlaymont's Schuman Room, Brussels.
• 12.30: Press conference to be given by Vice-President Jacques Barrot and other participants in the Berlaymont Press Room, Brussels.

Links:

• European Action on Drugs - Launch event
• Global approach to drugs developed at European Union level

"Personal data - more use, more protection?", 19-20 May 2009. (PDF File 28 KB) (PDF File 17 KB)

The European Commission organises a personal data use and protection conference to look at new challenges for privacy.

How should personal data be protected in a globalised world with increased mobility and in the wake of modern communication and information technologies and new policies? Which data is accessed and exchanged by public authorities and private companies? How well are current rules on international transfers of personal data working in a time of “cloud computing”? What are the expectations of individuals and business and society as a whole? These and other topical questions will be addressed by a conference on the use, exchange and protection of personal data in the EU, organised by the European Commission, which will take place in Brussels on 19 and 20 May 2009.

Interested individuals, business leaders, consumer associations, academics, data protection supervisors and public authorities from both the EU and third countries are invited to take part.

Among the speakers will be the Vice-president of the European Commission in charge of Justice, Freedom and Security, Mr Jacques Barrot.

The conference will give the opportunity to various stakeholders to express their views and questions on the new challenges for data protection and the need for an effective information management strategy in the EU. The conference is part of the Commission’s open consultation on how the fundamental right to protection of personal data can be further developed and effectively respected, in particular in the area of freedom, justice and security.

Interpretation will be provided in English, French and German.

• Press Release (PDF File 16 KB)
• Programme (PDF File 651 KB)
• Practical information (PDF File 732 KB)
• On-line registration form - Registration is now closed.
• "Personal data protection notice" (PDF File 66 KB) (PDF File 59 KB) (PDF File 60 KB)
• If you are interested in expressing your views and questions on the new challenges for data protection before the Conference, you are invited to join our Forum which will be active until 18 May 2009.
• The conference webcast
• Photos will be available on the website after the Conference
• Any questions you may have can be sent to the following address: jls-dp-conference@ec.europa.eu
• In case you are interested for all the recent updates regarding this event, please register for our "NewsLetter Registration" service:
  http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/privacy/index_en.htm
  

Speeches/Presentations:

Opening Session:

- Welcome speech from the European Commission: Jacques Barrot, Vice President, Commissioner in charge of Justice, Freedom and Security (PDF File 41 KB)

Session 1: “Knowing you, knowing me” – new Purposes, new challenges?

I. What does it mean today “in accordance with the law, necessary, proportionate, and appropriate in a democratic society”?

- Kurt Hager, Federal Ministry of Interior, Austria (PPT File 59 KB)
- Douwe Korff, London Metropolitan University:

1. Presentation (PPT File 143 KB)
2. The standard approach under articles 8 – 11 ECHR and article 2 ECHR (PDF File 79 KB)
3. the legal framework (PDF File 1 MB)

II. Profiling, risk assessment, and advertising

- Alastair Tempest, Director General, Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing (FEDMA) (PPT File 687 KB)

III. The role of business and personal data protection

- Jeroen Terstegge, Corporate Privacy Officer/Senior Counsel, DigitalEurope (PPT File 268 KB)
- Andreas Krisch, President, European Digital Rights (EDRi)
(PDF File 95 KB)

Session 2: “Does your mother know?” – no – but could she?

I. Transparency and notification in the age of Internet

- Peter Hustinx, European Data Protection Supervisor (PPT File 304 KB)
- Peter Fleischer, Global Privacy Counsel, Google Inc. (PDF File 3.3 MB)

II. Awareness and public opinion

- Marili Parissaki, Senior Associate Consultant, Kantor Group (PPT File 817 KB)

1. Handout 1 (PDF File 23 KB)
2. Handout 2 (PDF File 52 KB)

- Kantor Group - Evaluation of the Means used by National Data Protection Supervisory Authorities in the promotion of personal Data Protection (PDF File 506 KB)
- Nataša Pirc Musar, Information Commissioner, Slovenia (PPT File 5 MB)

III. Supervisory authorities and the data subject

- Jacob Kohnstamm, Chairman, Data Protection Authority, The Netherlands (PPT File 37 KB)

IV. Consumer protection and personal data protection

- Willemien Bax, Deputy Director, The European Consumers’ Organisation (BEUC) (PPT File 700 KB)
- Paul de Hert, Vrije Universiteit Brussels and Tilburg University (PPT File 179 KB)

Session 3: “Take A Chance On Me” – towards a new data protection culture in Europe?

I. Identity management

- Thomas Myrup Kristensen, EU Internet Policy Director, Microsoft Europe (PPT File 1.1 MB)

II. Data Security, Certification and privacy professionals

- Christopher Kuner, Chairman, European Privacy Officers Forum (EPOF) (PPT File 457 KB)
- Peter Gola, President, German Association for Data Protection and Data Security (GDD) (PPT File 2.9 MB)

III. Is there a “Fundamental right to forget”?

- Patrick Breyer, Data protection expert (PPT File 683 KB)
- Patrick Breyer, Proposals for the improvement of Data Protection (PDF File 23 KB)
- Francesco Pizzetti, President Garante, Data Protection Authority, Italy (PPT File 540 KB)

IV. Towards a Charter on Digital Data Protection and Freedom of Information?

- Giovanni Buttarelli, Assistant Supervisor, European Data Protection Supervisor:

1. Towards a charter on digital data protection and freedom of information? (PPT File 293 KB)
2. Speakers notes (PDF File 182 KB)

V. Globalisation issues

- Artemi Rallo Lombarte, Director, Data Protection Agency, Spain (PPT File 1.7 MB)

Call for applications for the European Crystal Scales of Justice Prize for innovative practices contributing to the quality of criminal justice.

The Crystal Scales of Justice Prize is organised with Commission funding under its “Criminal Justice Programme”. The competition is designed for projects that aim to improve the organisation and procedures of justice systems (e.g. trials), or to improve mutual knowledge and exchange of best practice in the area of criminal justice.

In order to be eligible, initiatives must be presented by a court, a Bar association or an association of legal professionals, a prosecution office, a prison or probation administration, or any other entity responsible for criminal justice affairs in a Member State of the European Union or the Council of Europe. Applications for the 2009 edition must be submitted by 1 March 2009 and meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the rules of the competition.

All projects will be assessed by a panel of judges composed of European legal practitioners. The prize and three special distinctions will be awarded during the plenary session of the Justice Forum, which will take place in the first half of 2009 in Brussels.

• Application form of the “The Crystal Scales of Justice” Prize
• Press release
• Information dossier

Meetings of the EU Forum on Organised Crime Prevention.