24 April 2012 - New EU rules on data protection were presented by Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding in January 2012. In this context, the British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and Cambre Associates organised a breakfast briefing event on 24th April in the European Parliament.

The event was the occasion for Members of European Parliament (MEP) and industry to exchange views on what impact revised rules on data protection could have on competitiveness in Europe and various business models, as well as possible options for consideration by policy-makers. Axel Voss, MEP and author of the report “A comprehensive approach on personal data protection in the European Union”, Sophie in’t Veld, MEP, and industry speakers from Intel and Symantec were on the panel.

The speakers emphasized the importance of businesses and legislators working together to create effective and sustainable system for data protection in the digital age. Building trust in digital services, finding a long-term and technology neutral solution to data protection and the importance of international harmonization, starting with EU harmonization and global “interoperability” of laws, were also issues highlighted during the debate.