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Parliamentary appearance: presentation of the 2009 Annual Report

Publish date: 2010-06-08

The director of the Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT), Esther Mitjans, has presented the summary of actions carried out by the Authority in 2009 to the Committee on Institutional Affairs of the Parliament of Catalonia.

That the new technologies affect people's lives and are now within reach of all has become even more evident during the year. For that reason, the APDCAT has endeavoured to establish a culture of data protection to ensure that public entities and people in general are aware of their rights and know how to manage personal information.

More specifically with respect to Authority actions, attention would be drawn to the following aspects:

- Activities to publicise the right. These include training in various areas and sectors, the presentation of three practical manuals aimed at the very young, the "If you're super, navigate safely" activity both at the Festa dels Súpers as well as at Christmas Fairs around Catalonia, and organisation of the first Technological Conference for Data Protection DAT2009, among others.

- Participation in the international sphere: The drafting of international standards in the field of data protection and the data protection in plurinational and federal states project.

- The drafting of Instruction 1/2009 on the processing of personal data using cameras for video surveillance purposes.

- Audit plans to monitor the level of compliance with the right to information and with some of the organisational security measures provided for in the RLOPD (regulation implementing Organic Law 15/1999-LOPD).

- An increase of almost 100 % in the number of complaints and claims attended to and the 50% rise in Opinions arising out of legal consultations and requests for advice on the part of public bodies.

In short, the work carried out by the Authority has been highly positive because the foundations have been laid for a culture of respect for data protection. The compliance with and effectiveness of that right must however be fully guaranteed.

If you would like further information about the Annual Report (only Catalan version available).