Stronger protection, new opportunities – Commission guidance on the direct application of the General Data Protection Regulation as of 25 May 2018 COM/2018/043 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL
Stronger protection, new opportunities – Commission guidance on the direct application
of the General Data Protection Regulation as of 25 May 2018
Introduction
On 6 April 2016, the EU agreed to a major reform of its data protection framework, by adopting the data protection reform package, comprising the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) replacing the twenty years old Directive 95/46/EC2 (‘Data Protection Directive’) and the Police Directive
. On 25 May 2018, the new EU-wide data protection instrument, the General Data Protection Regulation, (“the Regulation”), will become directly applicable, two years after its adoption and entry into force
.The new Regulation will strengthen the protection of the individual’s right to personal data protection, reflecting the nature of data protection as a fundamental right for the European Union
.Providing for a single set of rules directly applicable in the Member States legal orders, it will guarantee the free flow of personal data between EU Member States and reinforce trust and security of the consumers, two indispensable elements for a real Digital Single Market. In this way, the Regulation will open up new opportunities for businesses and companies, especially the smaller ones, also by making clearer rules for international transfers of data.
