The Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council held a policy debate on a proposal to update privacy rules for electronic communications (ePrivacy). The draft regulation sets out to ensure a high level of protection of private life, communications and personal data in the electronic communications sector. It also aims to create a level playing field for providers of various services and to ensure free movement of electronic communications data and services in the EU. It will replace the current ePrivacy directive, which was last updated in 2009, and complement the general data protection regulation (GDPR), which became applicable on 25 May.
During today's Council debate, ministers generally stressed the need to have a text which will protect our citizens and at the same time provide legal certainty for sme's and other businesses to encourage innovation and growth. The solutions must be user friendly and future proof. The relationship between ePrivacy and the general data protection directive still needs to be clarified. Several delegations mentioned the need to ensure a level playing field among different service providers. This includes avoiding a situation in which the same data would be subject to different rules depending on who is processing them (that is, ePrivacy imposing stricter obligations on providers of communications services than the GDPR on other entities).
Outcome of the Council meeting [PDF]
Source: [European Council of the European Union]
Press conference (multi-lingual)