Arguments over proposed EU data protection regulations could result in 2016 delay

The European Union's data protection regulations could be delayed until 2016, due to British and business objections.

According to the vice chairman of the European Parliament committee overseeing the bill, MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht, the regulations – that would carry large potential penalties for businesses found to have broken them – would sidestep the common decree of existing EU laws.

€100m fines (or up to five percent of turnover) have been proposed, but it is not yet clear how these charges would be imposed on charities or public sector organisations.

Albrecht said that nearly 4,000 amendments were proposed as member states looked to dilute them or make them even tougher.

Albrecht commented that the UK, France and Germany were all objecting parties, albeit for different reasons. The UK did not want complete EU power and; EU privacy campaigners said that the proposed model has led to too much difference to how data protection is handled across the EU's member states.

Albrecht said;

"We don't know if we will make it this year. The European Council really have to run fast if they want to keep to the time scale. We hope we will manage, but if Council will wait even longer it will be very very difficult." *

"There's a lot of optimism about how quickly they can get it through, that's just not realistic."

Quote: Statement given to SC Magazine.