European Parliament/Council: Directive Concerning the Processing of Personal Data and the Protection of Privacy in the Telecommunication Sector

IRIS 1998-2:1/4

Marina Benassi

Attorney at law

As a result of the agreement which took place some months ago, (see IRIS 1997-9: 12) on 15 December 1997, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have implemented a Directive on the processing of data of a personal nature and the protection of privacy over the digital and mobile telecommunication networks, complementing Directive 95/46/EC on data protection (Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data). The Directive addresses security and confidentiality in relation both to individuals and to corporations and aims to regulate and control, among others, the nature and the use of data in relation to telephone billing, caller identification, as well as in relation to the monitoring of calls and unsolicited calls.

The new legislative document, which is to enter in force on 24 October 1998, intends to guarantee a high-standard of protection for the privacy of nationals of the Member States, establishing a means of guarding the quality and nature of confidential personal data which can be transferred within the EU by means of telecommunication networks.