October

Spain has one of the most restrictive data protection regimes in the European Union (EU) and is also known to have some of the highest penalties (fines are up to � 600,000 per infringement). The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has a reputation for being one of the fiercest of the EU and the penalties are not just on paper, in the last years, it has imposed fines of � 450,000, � 900,000 and � 1,400,000. The purpose of this article is to help companies operating in Spain to better understand how to meet the Spanish data protection requirements and not end up incurring the wrath of the data protection authority.

The Data Protection Act 1998 was enacted to bring British law into line with the EU data protection directive of 1995. Since then, the rate at which technology has advanced has been astronomical, resulting in a surge of innovative ways in which businesses can commercially exploit personal data. The right to be forgotten is one of the latest changes that businesses need to contend with. What 's more, the world has become increasingly interconnected, the nature of data exchanges has become more globalised and the legislative approach across EU member states is widely acknowledged as being disjointed. In response to these changes, the European Commission has published proposals for the reform and harmonisation of EU data protection law. The regulation, a supposedly single comprehensive legal framework governing data protection, is expected to overhaul and replace existing legislation.

Those who have made mistakes in life are up against significant blockers to re-enter the workplace, and are therefore likely to fall back into the world of crime. Business in the Community 's (BITC) 'Ban the Box ' scheme is one solution helping offenders find skilled and sustainable work. This scheme removes the tick box, asking whether applicants have criminal convictions, and asks this question later in the application process, ensuring a fair assessment of the candidate from the get-go. Security and safety still remain high on the agenda for participating businesses, with the severity of the crime considered in the hiring process.