Meeting Summary
This week the Committee considered the following
documents:
Sharing of data between the EU and US
These two Communications set out the Commission's
review of its strategy on EU-US data transfers and the operation
of what is known as the "Safe Harbour Decision" in respect
of EU-US transfer of data for commercial purposes. Both documents
are relevant to the proposed EU data protection package and have
been produced in response to the Snowden allegations that the
communications of EU citizens, including personal data, have been
monitored and collected by US intelligence agencies. The Government
is concerned that the timetable for agreement of the data protection
package may be brought forward to spring this year, before the
European Parliament elections, and expresses concerns about some
parts of the Communications. We ask the Government for a prompt
update on progress with the data protection package and whether
aspects of these Communications might be reflected in any amendments
to it. In the meantime the Communications remain under scrutiny.
Protection of trade secrets
This draft Directive would provide for the protection
of trade secrets in the civil law systems of EU Member States.
It contains a definition of trade secrets and sets out requirements
for civil remedies and procedures. The objective is to improve
the functioning of the single market for research and innovation
by giving innovators confidence that their trade secrets will
have the same level of protection in each Member State and that
they have access to effective remedies in the event of misappropriation
of those secrets. The UK Government agrees with the Commission
that benefits for the internal market in research and innovation
would derive from action at EU level, although the protection
of trade secrets under the UK's common law of confidence is already
consistent with the Commission's proposal, other than that the
UK allows for a longer limitation period. We ask the Minister
to say whether the Directive as currently drafted would require
implementing legislation, even though it is already given effect
under the common law, and if so what form that would take. In
the meantime, the document remains under scrutiny.
| 
