MEP Kelly to lead Data Protection negotiations

Seán Kelly MEP (Ireland South) has been appointed lead negotiator on Data Protection (the protection of personal information online) for the European Parliament’s Industry committee. Mr Kelly will represent the EU’s only directly elected institution during negotiations between the Parliament, the EU Council (governments) and the Commission over the next few months.

The Fine Gael MEP welcomed the launch of negotiations last week: ” The first round of negotiations have been initiated between the European Parliament, Council and the European Commission on the Data Protection Regulation which aims to protect European citizens online in how they can manage and keep their personal information safe. The three EU institutions will be working together over the next couple of months to ensure a high standard of protection is achieved for citizens.

“In representing the Industry committee of Parliament, I will be advocating that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is implemented equally across all 28 Member States to ensure that citizens have the right to manage their own data, whilst at the same time ensuring that we maintain consumer confidence in the digital economy and enable its growth. The three institutions have worked hard over the past three years to prepare positions which can be negotiated and to which we can all find a compromise if needed.

“Adequate and effective data protection measures for our citizens are imperative in the growing world of digital social, political and economic interaction,” added Mr Kelly, the leader of the Fine Gael delegation in the European Parliament.

Mr Kelly MEP previously served as lead negotiator for the largest political group in Parliament, the EPP Group, during the drafting of the Data Protection Regulation in 2013, within the Industry, Research and Energy Committee of Parliament.