February

"The new European commissioner with responsibility for data protection has outlined her desire to introduce the Data Protection Regulation that would create a single law covering the entire continent. During a speech at the fifth Annual Data Protection and Privacy Conference in Brussels, the new commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality, Vera Jourov�, outlined her wish to continue the initiative begun by previous justice commissioner Viviane Reding. ""The proposed Data Protection Regulation will do away with 28 differing national laws, and provide a single set of rules on data protection valid across the EU,"" she said. ""The consensus is that the odds of Europe adopting the Regulation in 2015 are very high, which will trigger the countdown to transposition,"" he said."

2015 could be the year that new European data protection requirements, backed by the threat of costly fines if not followed, will finally emerge after several years of debate and negotiation - and potentially have a major impact on the recruitment industry. If finalised this year, the Data Protection Regulation (DPR) will have a two-year implementation provision, meaning that it would take effect in 2017. Crucially the new rules will give individuals the statutory right to be forgotten. This will allow people to have personal data erased by organisations should they request it. Another major development would be that organisations processing or holding data on individuals will need consent to transfer details about them to other parties.

"The Article 29 Working Party released a short joint statement containing a series of declarations on: (i) ""European values"", (ii) ""surveillance for security purposes"", and (iii) the ""European influence."" The joint statement emphasizes the balance to be struck between protecting data protection rights and allowing national intelligence agencies to perform their duties, and the fundamental importance of European data protection rights more generally. These affirmations are particularly significant in the context of both the Snowden revelations and the ongoing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. The Working Party provides a dedicated web page for the submission of comments on the joint statement from all interested stakeholders, which it will take into account in its activities during 2015."