International organizations in Albania advocate significance of data protection

TIRANA, 28 January 2008 - Marking the Data Protection Day, the OSCE Presence in Albania, the Delegation of the European Commission and the Council of Europe in Albania jointly emphasized the importance of a data protection system that meets European standards.

The Albanian Government has prepared a draft law on data protection with expertise from the Council of Europe under the auspices of a project funded by the Commission and implemented by the OSCE Presence.

"The EU-funded project to deliver technical assistance to the Government of Albania on the modernization of the civil registry and address system provides for the alignment of the current law on personal data protection with the acquis communautaire and the Council of Europe Convention on the protection of personal data," said Hubert Petit, charge d'affaires of the Delegation of European Commission to Albania. "The establishment of a Data Protection Framework is also a priority of the European partnership document between Albania and the European Union."

The Head of the OSCE Presence, Ambassador Robert Bosch added: "The Assembly needs to carry out an efficient review and approval of the draft law to ensure that privacy issues are addressed before the computerized civil registration system starts functioning."

The Data Protection Day was marked for the first time on 28 January last year on the initiative of the Council of Europe supported by European Union. It aims to inform European citizens about personal data protection and of what their rights and responsibilities are in that regard.

"The best way to see in practice the determination of Albania to comply with European standards on Data Protection is by adopting and implementing the new law and giving to the new Commissioner for Data Protection the power to act as an independent authority following the well-established European model," said Delphine Freymann, Council of Europe Special Adviser in Albania.

The Data Protection Day aims to give European citizens a chance to understand what kind of personal data is collected and processed and why, as well as what their rights are with respect to this processing.