On August 12, 2019, the Greek Ministry of Justice published the long-awaited, draft legislation for implementing the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Greece and Slovenia are the only two European Union (EU) countries that have not yet implemented the GDPR.

As an EU regulation, the GDPR has legally taken effect in every EU country, including Greece. In fact, the Greek Supervisory Authority recently imposed a 150,000EUR fine on a company for GDPR violations. However, the GDPR allows EU countries to adopt certain derogations, specifications, and exceptions through their implementing legislation. The draft, inter alia, does this through the following provisions:

  1. Age of Consent

The draft requires that a minor over 15 years old (and up to 18 years old) must consent to the processing of his/her personal data for the processing to be lawful. When a minor is under 15 years old, the minor’s legal guardian must consent.Continue Reading Greece Publishes Draft Legislation for Implementing GDPR

On July 9, 2019, the European Court of Justice (ECJ)—the highest court of the European Union—will hear oral arguments in the Schrems 2.0 case relating to the validity of two key data transfer mechanisms: the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and the EU-US Privacy Shield. Both of these mechanisms are widely used by companies in the European Economic Area (EEA), which comprises the 28 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, to allow the transfer of personal data to the United States and other countries outside the EEA.
Continue Reading And Then There Were None: Or How Schrems 2.0 May Invalidate the Standard Contractual Clauses and the Privacy Shield

On June 27, 2019, the EU Regulation on Information and Communication Technology (Cybersecurity Act or Act) became effective introducing, for the first time, EU-wide rules for the cybersecurity certification of products and services (Certification). The Certification may create a competitive advantage for companies that sell their products and services in the EU. Further, the Certification may act as a catalyst to the anticipated certifications for GDPR-compliance.

In addition, the Cybersecurity Act provides for a new permanent mandate for the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) with new responsibilities.
Continue Reading The EU Cybersecurity Act Introduces Certifications and the New Cybersecurity Agency