The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) felt the need to make its position clear in response to data protection reform plans proposed by the European Commission.

CCBE President Marcella Prunbauer-Glaser said: ‘We regret that the Commission did not choose to extend the general data protection rules to the areas of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.

Criminal matters

‘Like the European Data Protection Supervisor, we believe that the processing of data in the areas of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters requires at least as much protection as provided under the proposed Regulation, and not less under a separate Directive, given the specific risks for citizens.’

Ms Prunbauer-Glaser also said that the draft regulation did not do enough to respect professional secrecy and self-regulation. She said: ‘Some of the provisions contained in the draft Regulation do not sufficiently take into account the guarantees already offered by lawyers to their clients, the role of Bars and Law Societies as regulators of the profession and the practical problems created for lawyers in light of the professional secrecy to which they are bound.’