New European General Data Protection Regulation Seminar

In its plenary session of April 14, 2016, the European Parliament approved the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), after the Council already adopted the final text on April 8, 2016.

This marks the end of a long legislative process that was initiated by the EU Commission in January 2012.

The GDPR will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the EU Official Journal and its provisions will be directly applicable in all EU member states two years after this date. With possible fines in cases of non-compliance up to the greater of €20 million or 4 percent of the total worldwide annual turnover, companies therefore should make sure to comply by mid-2018.

On June 2, 2016, Crowell & Moring is organizing a seminar in its Brussels office on the GDPR, in which we will highlight the major obligations for companies.

In the coming months, European Data Protection Authorities are expected to provide further practical guidance on the GDPR, and we will of course follow up on these developments.

The Parliament’s press release about the adoption of the GDPR can be found here and the Council’s press release here.